Hawks rookie Zuby Ejiofor posted 19 points, 15 rebounds and went 3-of-8 from three in a win over the Thunder, and Atlanta may have found a keeper in the frontcourt.
The Atlanta Hawks are two games into Salt Lake City Summer League play, and there's plenty for fans to feel good about. It provides a look into the team's young talent that can be studied.
The Hawks are 1-1, but the win-loss record is the wrong place to focus. Summer League is about the details, and Hawks fans should be watching individual performances over the scoreboard. Through that lens, Zuby Ejiofor has had an impressive week.
Hawks Rookie Big Man Shows Out in Summer League
The pitch on Ejiofor as a prospect centered on his grit, defensive ability, and hustle, and he's delivered on that front so far. Ejiofor finished Monday's 82-77 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder with 15 rebounds.
His defensive activity was also a big reason he outplayed a lottery pick in the process. Oklahoma City's Aday Mara, the No. 12 overall pick, managed just 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting to go with 9 rebounds. Ejiofor guarded him physically in the post throughout the game, giving him little room to operate despite giving up several inches in height.
Offensively, Ejiofor's line looks rough on the surface. He scored 19 points but shot just 5-of-13 from the field. The number that should matter more to Hawks fans is what he did from three-point range, where he went 3-of-8.
Shooting was never the pitch on Ejiofor. He hit 30.5% of his three-point attempts at St. John's on a modest 1.6 tries per game, not exactly an efficient or high-volume shooter. Eight attempts in a single Summer League game is a jump worth noting on its own, and making 3 of them will work just fine for Atlanta. If Ejiofor can space the floor at the NBA level, it changes his outlook considerably.
Whether that translates to real 2026-27 regular-season minutes is a fair question.
Hawks Could Have a Keeper in Ejiofor
It's hard to say for certain. Atlanta will carry win-now aspirations in 2026-27, and a team trying to get deep into the postseason doesn't usually hand rookies much rope to develop. That said, Ejiofor looks ready to defend at an NBA level from day one, and that energy and motor aren't going anywhere.
If the jumper is real, he could earn minutes early. Summer League performances don't always translate to the regular season, but there's plenty of reason for optimism with Zuby Ejiofor right now. Atlanta's next Summer League game is worth watching closely.
