Golden State Warriors: Festus Ezeli Overshadows Successful Preseason

But then again “it’s only preseason.”

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Regardless, Golden State Warriors big man

is carving out his own piece of the big show in Northern California. Ezeli has been out (it seems like forever) with right knee surgery and subsequent small post-surgery associated flare ups that has restricted him to the sideline since playing his last game on May 16, 2013.

While the Warriors have made news for moving the ball much better in Steve Kerr‘s hybrid triangle/ motion offense, experimenting with Andre Iguodala in the second unit and great showings from free-agent offseason acquisitions like Leandro Barbosa, Ezeli’s return has trumped all, and with his return, the Warriors are stacked like never before.

He’s only dropped 13 points in two preseason games for the Warriors, however Kerr is well-aware of his worth. A healthy Ezeli means not having to rely on shifty back up big men Ognjen Kuzmic and Marresse Speights. After a recent  125-107 Warriors win against the Los Angeles Clippers, Kerr told the San Francisco Gate:

"“Festus is a big part of what we’re doing going forward, I like to stay big as much as possible. Kuz has really come along, and Festus gives us a third rim protector.”"

Entering his second year with the Warriors, Ezeli worked out with hall of fame center Hakeem Olajuwon over the summer. It’s easy to tell. Ezeli hadn’t even worked out in  a full-contact, five-on-five scrimmage during Warriors training camp. Moving forward into the regular season, they’ll monitor his health as Ezeli has been on the mend, reported as day-to-day, receiving treatments on a shin injury.

The Warriors will keep him on the shelf until he’s 100 percent and ready to go.

"“The good thing about being out so long, I really don’t care what anybody thinks about me anymore. I don’t care because the people that write the articles … and the people that talk about me and put the other people down, nobody was there with me while I was doing my rehab. What they think doesn’t matter. It’s about what we as a team think about ourselves, and we think we’re pretty good and we have a lot of talent on this team. That’s all that matters.”"

There’s something to be said about players who sustain major injuries and are able to return to form. They have a chip on their shoulder that stems from hours of painful rehab, the mental instability that comes with questioning your ability to perform at a familiar level of play, and most of all career uncertainty. Ezeli seems to have gotten rid of all that negative weight. He’s in positive spirits, energized by a new day in Golden State and is finally ready to make his mark on the league.