Okafor's Start In NOLA Far From Ideal

If you follow us closely, you'll know that I named Emeka Okafor(notes) as one of my "most important players for 2009-10 who aren't MVP-ish"—second on the list, in fact. Thus, I took immediate notice of today's Marc Spears story with the headline "Okafor isn’t winning over new teammates."

From Yahoo! Sports:

Less than a week before the start of the season, the New Orleans Hornets still don’t know what to make of new center Emeka Okafor(notes). He has yet to play or even practice with them, and his prolonged absence has some team members privately shaking their heads […]

An NBA source told Yahoo! Sports that Okafor was cleared to play by the Hornets’ medical staff two weeks ago and by his own doctor a week later. Most of Okafor’s teammates know he has been cleared and are eager to see whether he works out with them for the first time over the weekend. “He better practice Sunday or he could lose some guys,” one Hornet said.

Coach Byron Scott sort of has Okafor's back; he's said that Okafor "might have been cleared medically, but from a mental standpoint he is not cleared," and "When you have a guy that says he is not ready, the worst thing you can do is force him to get out there.” Sympathetic, yes, but this sounds like Scott's expecting things to change sooner rather than later.

You also have to wonder if, because of the key role Okafor is expected to play, the rest of the team is getting more restless than they ordinarily would, and Scott's more willing to justify Okafor sitting out. As soon as he does start playing, it's open season on whether or not the trade for Chandler was a good idea—and whether or not the former Bobcat's ready for the scrutiny. It may not be fair, but it's not an exaggeration to say that the Hornets season hangs in the balance.
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