Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesaar are both chasing minutes in Atlanta's crowded frontcourt. After Veesaar's 20-point outing, who has the real edge?
The Atlanta Hawks may have nailed the 2026 NBA Draft.
Kingston Flemings has grabbed most of the headlines. He's flashed some immense potential during Summer League. Fans will hope that his scoring efficiency improves, but Flemings' playmaking, ball security, and defensive ability should earn him a solid place in the Hawks' rotation as a rookie.
Otherwise, they also picked up a pair of big men in Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesaar. It's unclear whether either will crack the rotation in 2026-27, but Ejiofor has been impressive all summer:
And now, Veesaar arguably looks even better
Hawks' Henri Veesaar shines vs Celtics
Before the draft, the general understanding about Veesaar was that he was an offensively gifted big man who could stretch the floor, but would struggle defensively.
Against the Celtics on Monday, the former was true. Veesaar had 20 points against Boston, including a 4/6 mark from downtown. His touch around the rim looked solid as well.
The latter didn't seem as accurate. Veesaar had a steal and a block. More generally, he seemed to be in the right position defensively more often than not. If he's going to be a defensive liability, it did not show on Monday.
Granted, this is Summer League. It's worth noting that Veesaar outplayed first-round pick Chris Cenac Jr., but it still doesn't mean that he'll be guaranteed a 2026-27 regular-season role.
Should Hawks fans expect to see him on the floor?
Hawks should give everyone a fair shake
The Hawks will be trying to win as many games as possible in 2026-27. There are no charity reps available for underdeveloped rookies.
Onyeka Onkongwu will be the starting center, and he won't have stiff competition. Provided he stays healthy, Jock Landale will be the primary backup. So, if either Ejiofor or Veesaar is going to get on the floor, it's going to be in garbage time, or as an injury replacement.
That said: These things happen. If either can prove enough in garbage minutes, they could be in line for increased responsibilities. Moreover, Landale got hurt last year, and he may need some rest throughout the season. There will be opportunities for the Hawks' rookie bigs.
Which one will get them? It's impossible to predict at this stage. Fans should avoid recency bias. Veesaar was impressive on Monday, but Ejiofor was surprising fans by hitting threes when he was playing, and he is an undeniably better defender. As of now, it seems like the Hawks may have two quality rookie big men to consider:
That can happen when you do so well in the draft.
