Festus Ezeli

C

Vanderbilt

6’11”

255 lbs

10/29/89

After having a breakout junior season, Festus Ezeli decided to to return for his senior season in hopes of boosting his draft stock even more. Unfortunately for Ezeli, a suspension and a early season injury plagued his season and hurt his overall senior season. Still a talented prospect with NBA size and ability, Ezeli will be an attractive player for a NBA team looking for a good defensive big man.

Ezeli is still very much a work in progress on the offensive end. He can finish around the rim and possess decent hands but struggles to create offense for himself. Ezeli is able to use his big frame and athletic ability to his advantage offensively but doesn't posses post moves to make him a reliable offensive option at this point. Right now Ezeli is a player who will get his points off of pick-and-roll opportunities, offensive rebounds and plays created by others.

Defensive is where Ezeli holds most of his value. Possessing very good NBA size, length and ability, Ezeli figures to be a very good post defender at the next level. He has grown into his body and has a NBA ready frame that allows him to hold his position versus the NBA's premier post players. Adding to his defensive ability, Ezeli is a very good shot blocker due to his length, timing and quick jumping ability. One of the concerning areas of Ezeli's game is despite all his physical tools, his rebounding numbers aren't where they should be. Ezeli is a solid rebounder but needs to improve on this to add to his value and contribute more to a team.

Overall, Ezeli will enter the NBA as a player ready to contribute right away in a specific role. His game still needs to develop some, especially offensively, but Ezeli has NBA physical tools and talent. He'll likely be a 2nd round pick with the amount of depth this draft has in the middle but that doesn't diminish his overall value.

Rank                40^th Overall (7^th C)

Projection         Early 2^nd

Strengths         Good low-post defender

                       NBA size

                       Good shot-blocker

Weaknesses      Raw offensive game

                       Average rebounder