Festus Ezeli
Age: 26
Height: 6-foot-11
Career stats: 14.1 mpg; 4.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.3 spg, 1 bpg; 51.3/0/55.7 shooting splits
2015-16 stats: 46 games, 16.7 mpg; 7 ppg, 5.6 rbg, 0.7 apg, 0.4 spg, 1.1 bpg; 54.8/0/53.0 shooting splits
Strengths:
• Defense: Ezeli’s calling card is defense so far in his career. He is an imposing rim defender and has the strength to hold his own against anyone in the post and rebound effectively.
• Athleticism: Ezeli’s athletic tools are the main source of his defense prowess, as he is long, powerful, and surprisingly mobile at 6’11’ and 255 lbs.
Weaknesses:
• Scoring: Ezeli has a very limited offensive skillset. He can’t score from beyond 5 feet and even then is only efficient on dunk opportunities. He won’t offer much more offensively outside of screening.
• No versatility: At this point in his career, Ezeli’s value is pretty straightforward. He plays hard defense, rebounds well, and won’t offer much scoring.
Why the Warriors make sense:
We all know how Festus fits in with the Warriors, and while he has definitely progressed as a player, his performance is inconsistent. During the Warriors’ 24-0 start to the season, he was vital and impressive at times. But he also doesn’t have a great feel for the game, and his offensive ceiling looks pretty low. With the Warriors, his role as a backup center seems perfect because he may not be able to handle a featured role. But his developing game could price him out of Golden State’s range if another team decides to chase him.
Why the Warriors don’t make sense:
Ezeli’s looming payday is the biggest concern for the Warriors’ front office. There aren’t many ways Ezeli doesn’t fit in with the team who drafted him because the Warriors don’t ask too much of him. The minute they do, however, is when Ezeli may be unable to sustain the effectiveness he demonstrates in short bursts. Ezeli has a ways to go mentally and skillfully before he can demand a more featured role. His lack of scoring and touch makes it very tough to play him for too long.