Festus Ezeli

Ezeli played four years for the Golden State Warriors, and although he struggled with his health in that time (missing the entirety of his second season and managing only 92 regular season games over the final two), he nevertheless developed in that time to become a very solid backup post centre. However, while he signed a two year, $15,133,000 contract with the Portland Trail Blazers in the summer of 2016, he never played for the team at all due to injury, and has been out of the league for a year. Ezeli has now has multiple surgeries on both knees, and his health is the primary if not only concern; when he was healthy, he was certainly good enough.

Festus Ezeli
C, 6’11, 255lbs, 27 years old, 5 years of experience

Didn’t play at all due to injury, has an unguaranteed contract for next season, and will certainly be waived. Needs to prove his health - this is his second entirely-missed NBA season out of five, and Ezeli played in only 46 games in two of the others. He is a good quality NBA backup centre when healthy. He is just never healthy.

Player Plan: $7,733,000 contract for 2017/18, with only $1 million guaranteed. But without his health, not being kept as a player, and with the payroll as high as it already is, it is not worth dealing his contract in trade either. Waive.

Pick 30: The last pick in the first round is Festus Ezeli, who has outperformed Fab Melo in their careers to date, but who disappointed in his senior season, not helped by injury problems and a ridiculous suspension. Ezeli isn't here, which is just as well, because the David Stern quad boo was again in full effect, which would have tarnished things for Festus.

Ezeli struggles badly with turnover and foul problems, yet the latter of these is less problematic in a limited minutes player, which Ezeli will be. Golden State's long time search for a centre - which this year included the bizarre signings of Mickell Gladness and Mikki Moore - looks to be over, with Andrew Bogut the starter and Ezeli the projected backup. Now, they can finally use the amnesty provision on Andris Biedrins.

Oh no wait, they already used it Charlie Bell. Good talk.

Vanderbilt lost their best big man to graduation over the summer, Australian centre A.J. Ogilvy. Yet despite what should have been a heavy loss, the inside game remains one of their greatest strengths.

This is mainly due to Ogilvy's former backup, Festus Ezeli, who was one of the most improved players in the nation this season. Ezeli has NBA centre size, listed at 6'11 255lbs and looking every bit that size, and plays a true centres game. He is a prolific shotblocker, recording 2.6 blocks in only 23 minutes per game, and is strong, athletic and aggressive. In fact, he's too aggressive, which is why he only plays 23 minutes per game; he manages to foul 3.0 times a game in that time. Where Ezeli has improved most notably is in his offensive game. Playing exclusively in the post, like the old school centre that he is, Ezeli has developed from being a mere finisher into a decent creator down low, able to get position, create spacing with improved footwork, and drop in the hook shot. The only problem with this is that when the guards feed him in the post, they never get it back.