Golden State Warriors center Festus Ezeli has not played a single minute of game action since January 25th due to a knee injury and subsequent surgery. That hiatus appears to be coming close to an end sometime soon, but Ezeli himself has not lost sight of getting back out there and his focus is key.
Ezeli is averaging career-highs almost across the board. He’s posting 7.5 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game, and 1.2 blocks per game in 17.8 minutes. He’s even started 11 games and been a key contributor whenever he’s been on the court. The team will need him in the playoffs to provide the backup center minutes.
From Rusty Simmons of San Francisco Gate:
“I know that everyone has to carry a part for us to be able to win a championship,” [Festus] Ezeli said. “My focus right now is getting back to where I can be confident enough to make a contribution for this team. That’s my main motivation. I know that I have to come back and be able to contribute.”
As Ezeli says, gaining the confidence to know that he’ll be able to actually help the team is a big deal. That ability to focus on what you can actually do is pretty crucial, and he appears to have that down right now. The Warriors could use him on the court as soon as possible, but he must be cautious.
Ezeli is going to be an instrumental part of the title run, and having a backup center as valuable and as confident as him will be quite important. The big man is focused on returning to the court as soon as possible, and he has the right mindset for doing so.