Physicality meets playmaking as the St. John’s standout brings defensive versatility and high-motor rebounding to the Philadelphia 76ers, offering a gritty frontcourt solution to complement the Sixers' star-studded core.
The Philadelphia 76ers are clearly doing their homework on frontcourt options.
According to SJU Dave, St. John’s star forward Zuby Ejiofor worked out with the Sixers, which should not be surprising. Philadelphia owns the No. 22 pick, needs more physicality in the frontcourt, and has to find players who can fit around both its current roster and whatever direction the franchise eventually chooses.
Ejiofor checks a lot of those boxes.
He is not the most ideal modern power forward prospect because the shooting is still a question. He is also slightly undersized for a frontcourt player, standing around 6-foot-9. But his actual game is easy to imagine in an NBA rotation. He plays hard, defends, rebounds, passes and brings a level of toughness that every team can use.
Ejiofor’s season at St. John’s showed how productive he can be in a real role. He averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 53.6 percent from the field. He was one of St. John’s most important players and produced as a scorer, rebounder and connective piece for the team.
The defensive numbers are just as important. Ejiofor averaged 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks, showing the kind of activity that makes him valuable even without being a traditional rim protector. He has a strong frame, long arms and the physicality to hold up against bigger players. He also moves well enough to defend in space and provide help around the basket. The ability to be a defensive playmaker along with having good fundamentals will serve Ejofor well on the next level.
Another important aspect of his game is his playmaking.
He is not just a finisher who waits around the rim. He can make quick reads, hit cutters, swing the ball and operate as a connector. That skill would fit well next to Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Embiid because Philadelphia needs role players who can make fast decisions instead of stalling out the offense.
The concern is spacing.
Ejiofor did not take many threes at St. John’s, and he did not make them at a strong enough rate to be considered a reliable floor spacer. If the Sixers draft him, they would have to believe his defense, rebounding and passing outweigh the shooting limitation. That is easier to justify if they see him as a versatile frontcourt piece instead of a floor spacer.
His workout with the Sixers does not guarantee anything, but it makes sense. He is strong, productive, competitive and skilled enough as a passer to avoid being one-dimensional. While his shooting may be a limitation, his game is well rounded enough that he may be able to make up for it or improve at the next level.
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Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].
