festus-ezeli-hd.jpeg

3 - Festus Ezeli

6-11, 264 Center
Vanderbilt Senior
Birthday
10/21/89 (34.4 yrs)
Hometown
Benin City, Nigeria
High School
Igbinedion
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
7
Size
8
Defense
8
Strength
9
Quickness
6
Leadership
8
Jump Shot
7
NBA Ready
8
Rebounding
8
Potential
6
Post Skills
7
Intangibles
7

NBA Comparison: Mark West

Strengths: Ezeli’s intrigue as a prospect stems from his physical tools, where he sports a strong, NBA frame and a monstrous wingspan that hovers around the 7’4 mark … At 6’11 with his length, he’s a space-eater in the paint on both sides of the ball … His selling point is his ability to protect the rim, which he does extremely well thanks to the combination of agility, strength and length … Able to contest shots at both the high and low post showing impressive lateral quickness for his size … Strong post-defender, able to hold his positioning … Improved his footwork offensively in the post, using an effective drop step to set up an over shoulder hook … Willing to do the dirty work, defending and rebounding. Does an effective job of using his body to gain position down low … Strong, reliable finisher at the rim … Shows comfort and awareness slipping off high screens to the basket on pick and rolls…

Weaknesses: Not the most glamorous prospect, lacking great athleticism or upside … Ezeli is not an adept shot-creator, scoring primarily on tips or dump-offs from a penetrating guard … Non-existent face-up game or jump shot … Still more comfortable using right hand turning over right shoulder, making his shot easier to contest … Prone to foul trouble, averaging 3.2 PF in only 23 minutes a game…  He’s an uninspiring defensive rebounder considering his size, showing slow stop-to-start quickness and poor reaction time off misses … Doesn’t have the softest hands, resulting in too many turnovers for the amount he’s used…  Never shot better than 64% from the free throw line… Generally inconsistent on a game to game basis…

Overall: Though he’s a 22-year old senior with past injury issues, Ezeli’s presence alone could make a front line more intimidating … He has the physical attributes and toughness required for NBA centers, and while his offensive game is still being developed, he size, length and athleticism could be luxury off the bench

Jonathan Wasserman 5/2/12

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