Tag: festus ezeli

Trail Blazers center Festus Ezeli, who hasn’t played at all this season, underwent surgery on his left knee, team president of basketball operations Neil Olshey announced today.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Robert LaPrade at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado.

Ezeli will miss the remainder of the 2016-17 season.

Ezeli spent the first three seasons of his NBA career as a member of the Warriors. The Blazers, who at 27-35 have the 9th best record in the Western conference through Tuesday’s games, were counting on him as a defensive, rebound-grabbing presence. They’ll have to wait until next season to see what he can do.

The Trail Blazers announced today that center Festus Ezeli had his left knee injected with a bone marrow aspirate concentrate and Orthovisc today in Chicago.

The injection, performed by Dr. Brian Cole, is intended to alleviate pain and improve function.

Ezeli will be sidelined for six weeks.

The Blazers’ big man rotation mostly consists of role players. Ezeli, who comes to the Blazers after three seasons on the Warriors, has a chance to do big things and rise above the rest, if he’s up for it. He averaged 7.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game last season for Golden State, but that was in just 16.7 minutes per outing, which is very solid.

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent center Festus Ezeli, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey. The deal is reportedly a $15 million dollar contract over two years.

Ezeli, 26, joins the Trail Blazers from the Golden State Warriors, where he averaged 7.0 points (54.8% FG, 53.0% FT), 5.6 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.09 blocks and 16.7 minutes in 46 games (13 starts) last season.

“Festus is an outstanding addition to the Trail Blazer organization on and off the court. He will make an immediate impact and be a valuable addition to our culture,” said Olshey.

Selected 30th overall by the Warriors in the 2012 NBA Draft, Ezeli holds career averages of 4.2 points (51.3% FG, 55.7% FT), 4.3 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.98 blocks and 14.1 minutes in 170 games (61 starts) over three NBA seasons.

Ezeli (6-11, 265) has seen playoff action in all three of his NBA seasons, and averaged 4.0 points (53.6% FG), 2.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 8.8 minutes in 23 games for Golden State during the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Ezeli won an NBA championship with the Warriors in 2015.

A four-year standout at Vanderbilt, Ezeli graduated as the school’s all-time blocks leader with 204 career blocked shots. He averaged 7.7 points (56.2% FG), 4.5 rebounds and 1.69 blocks in 121 collegiate games.