Having recently received an injection of stem cells into his knees, the Trail Blazers new big man is already pulling at the heart strings of a fanbase that has been so cruelly decimated by injury issues throughout their history.
Festus Ezeli has always been a project of sorts, as he started as a fourteen year old immigrant who’d never played ball before. Then as a 6-11 beast, who was being recruited by colleges even though he didn’t play high school hoops. Even more now as a potentially elite rim protector, despite only playing 170 games through his first four years in the league.
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Best case scenario is that Festus gets healthy and becomes a defensive lynch-pin for the Trail Blazers. But given recent events, that best case is looking like it will take some time to come to fruition. In a worst case situation – what can Ezeli bring to the team if he is unable to contribute on the court?
At 26, Ezeli is young enough to bond with and relate to a Portland roster which had an average age of just 24.6 last season (including a 33 year old Chris Kaman and a 30 year old Brian Roberts). If he’s unable to lace up his kicks, the Nigerian born center could still become a vital locker-room presence. As young as he is, he’s wise beyond his years. Ezeli graduated high school at 14 and went on to major in economics at Vanderbilt. Beyond this (and perhaps more importantly), he has a championship ring to his name.
Yes Ezeli’s role on the ’15 champs and ’16 finalists was as a back-up. But that still doesn’t detract from the fact he is part of a exclusive band of players who have had the privilege of raising the Larry O’Brien Trophy. This experience will be welcomed in the Moda Center’s locker room throughout the upcoming season – especially by a player like Lillard. The star point guard has shown he is committed to having strong chemistry with his teammates, and a player of Ezeli’s caliber fits that role perfectly.
If they can build upon last season’s unexpected success (and with the fallout in OKC) then Portland has a legitimate shot at winning their division – even if Ezeli is in street clothes for long stretches of the season.
Let’s face it, the road to the title runs through Golden State. The Trail Blazers are not yet legitimate title contenders, but at some point they should expect to find themselves in a playoff rematch against the Warriors. The addition of Ezeli is not quite corporate espionage (and the addition of Durant mutates the beast that has been Golden State over the past couple of seasons), but having an inside man certainly won’t hurt. Portland would do well to glean as much information on the Warriors as possible from Ezeli.
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Even if the big man sees Oden-esque minutes during his Rip City tenure, he could still have a significant impact and influence on the team’s on-court success. With a little luck, Ezeli could return to form. It will require hard work from the player and the medical staff, but the potential outcome is definitely worth it.