Zuby Ejiofor impressed all of his spectators during his collegiate campaign at St. John's, and he did the same during the Hawks' recent 113-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It’s clear he’s adapted to Atlanta’s brand of basketball, given his effort on the glass. Five Hawks finished the game with five or more rebounds, including Ejiofor, who had the second-most with nine, just behind Asa Newell's ten.
Zuby has the bragging rights of collecting a healthy number of rebounds off the bench, while Jock Landale got the start. He subbed in for the 255-pound Australian at the 5:46 mark of the first quarter and immediately made an impact.
One of Ejiofor's first two buckets came via an alley-oop from two-way guard RayJ Dennis. He followed it up with an assist to Corey Kispert for three and finished the quarter at the free-throw line, going 2-for-2 at the stripe.
It was a well-rounded five-minute showing in the first quarter, and it got even better as the game progressed.
Ejiofor didn't let up as the game went on
He showed off more impressive playmaking with a second dime to Corey Kispert, who cashed another three-ball. Shortly after, Newell offered Zuby reprieve, and he came back in with the same momentum.
Once he hit the hardwood, he hit a three-pointer to give Atlanta a 77-70 lead. Nonetheless, OKC tied the game 79-79 heading into the fourth quarter.
Zuby was vital in helping the Hawks weather the storm. He scored the first bucket of the quarter to make it 81-79, and after a bucket from Rayj Dennis, Ejiofor returned to the free-throw line and made two more.
This brought the score to 85-81 in favor of Atlanta until Ejiofor scored another bucket, making it 87-81. Head Coach Quin Snyder subbed Zuby out at 8:55 for Cameron Corhen, but put him back in to close the game at 5:38.
It was an all-out battle between both teams by this point. Zuby missed a three-pointer with 2:13 left, but he tracked down his own miss before kicking it out to Hawks forward Jalen Wilson.
The importance of Zuby’s preseason performance
His 23-minute performance featured an impressive five offensive rebounds. Zuby’s performance had Hawks fans smiling ear to ear, finishing the game with 15 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.
Because he can crash the glass so effectively, his offensive rebounding should earn him a lot of playing time during his rookie season. His physicality will benefit the Hawks, who were hit hard on the boards during last summer's playoffs. Now the Hawks are battling back on the boards.
Ejiofor's development has been encouraging for this young Hawks team, especially after Henri Veesaar tore his ACL in September. Coach Snyder was wise to play Ejiofor right behind Landale, something he’ll have to do a lot this season.
Atlanta has mostly played small ball since the Horford-Millsap era, and Zuby’s shooting gives the Hawks yet another five-out option. This will nullify most weaknesses against lineups that use seven-footers, and Ejiofor’s speed advantage will show.
We are officially ten days from the Hawks' home opener against the Houston Rockets, and with one game left in the preseason, it would be wise to start Zuby against the Mavericks. It would keep him warmed up ahead of his rookie season.
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