The NBA's Least Appreciated Player

I'm making up a new award category--Least Appreciated Player in the NBA. My initial nomination has made a journey similar to my own, going from the Northeast (Cambridge, MA for me; Storrs, Connecticut for him) to a spot further south (Washington, DC for me; Charlotte, North Carolina for him) and eventually both landing down here in New Orleans. In case you haven't yet figured out who I am talking about it, the player is Emeka Okafor.

Okafor's name usually comes up in one of two ways. First, in reference to his supposedly over-sized contract. Second, whenever the top of the draft is dominated by one player who has all-world potential and another player that is NBA ready but has a lower ceiling, those supporting the former choice cite to the Magic's decision to pick Dwight Howard over Okafor in the 2004 Draft.

I want to instead focus on what Emeka Okafor means to the Hornets. The team was recently rolling. They had won 10 out of 11 games, including victories over the Magic, Spurs, and Thunder. Seven of those eleven opponents were held to under 90 points. Then Okafor got hurt. The Hornets immediately went into a tailspin--7 losses in 9 games with every opponent save one scoring over 90. The one squad the Hornets held under that 90 point bar was a Wizards team playing on the road; the same Wizards who were until a few days ago winless away from the District of Columbia.

What explains the Hornets seemingly playing so much better with Okafor in the lineup? First, and what people often seem to forget in all of the chatter regarding his contract and comparisons with Howard, is the fact that Okafor is a very good player. He averages a double double. He is shooting nearly 60% from the field. He has markedly improved this year on defense under Monty Williams, playing solid man-to-man defense and averaging almost 2 blocks a game. His adjusted plus minus rating is a very solid 8.83. Secondly, and perhaps just as importantly, is that the Hornets depth behind Okafor is abysmal. Aaron Gray has been starting at center over the past few games. Gray probably should not be playing in the NBA, let alone starting. When Gray goes to the bench, the Hornets rely on either D.J. Mbenga or David Anderson. Or they simply forego the 5 all together and pretend that David West or Jason Smith can man the position. The Hornets are missing Okafor's presence dearly.

Is any of this to say that Emeka Okafor is a star in the NBA? Absolutely not. But it's about time that he begins being referred to for his positive attributes and contributions more than for his perceived failings and limitations.