November 4, 2009 If it isn’t remarkable enough to see Emeka Okafor posting the numbers he’s producing in his first full week as a Hornet just consider he accomplished it after missing ALL of training camp and ALL EIGHT preseason games due to a sprained toe on his right foot. In fact, his first full practice since last season, including a full court scrimmage and contact, came 48 hours before the Hornets season opener against rival San Antonio. And what did Okafor accomplish? In his season debut he put up 18 points and 10 rebounds…something NO HORNETS STARTING CENTER DID IN ANY GAME (87 total) LAST SEASON.
But Okafor’s first full week of Hornets basketball wasn’t complete until he appeared at Madison Square Garden to face David Lee and the Knicks. He scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked three shots. How rare was that performance? Well, the last time a Hornets starting center scored as many as 24 points in a games was PRE-Katrina! Jamaal Magloire, the last Hornets center to make an all-star team, scored 27 points and added 14 rebounds on November 23, 2004. So, it was five years ago to the month between such offensive displays for Hornets starting centers. It gets me wondering how good Okafor will become when he’s comfortable on the floor with Chris Paul and David West. It makes me think he could become the most consistent Hornets center since a young Alonzo Mourning was one of the great young big men in the NBA back in the early 90s. It has me licking my chops at the prospect of the Bees having THREE all-stars this season. After just six days (and four games) in a Hornets uniform the six-year pro is leading the team in rebounding (10.8 RPG) and blocks (9 total), and is third in scoring (14.5 PPG) and minutes (31 MPG). He’s displaying all of the skills you heard he had when he was acquired this summer in a trade for Tyson Chandler. Okafor can use either hand to score. He can produce points in the post as well as hit the face-up jumper. He extends possessions with his offensive rebounding (11 of the 27 on the team belong to him). And we’ve already witnessed his tremendous timing on the defensive end with his shot blocking skills. Oh, and he hasn’t missed a game either…extending his consecutive games played streak to 179 entering the Dallas game this week. Although the Hornets have struggled out of the gate at 1-3 so far, Okafor has not. He has been everything the team hoped for…and more. He’s living up to the literal Nigerian meaning of his given name (Chukwuemeka) which translates to: “God has done well”. The newest Hornets big man has done better than “well” after just a single week of play. He’s shown the aptitude to learn quickly, a desire to fit in with his new team, and skills to complement a pair of all star teammates. It’s not too early to start using my new favorite Hornets nickname, “The Nigerian Nightmare”. So far, he’s giving opposition centers plenty of sleepless nights.
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