In my previous article, I wrote about how the Bobcats screwed up the expansion draft, which they did, and how they needed to make up a bunch of ground in the amateur draft. Well, they did just that. The Orlando Magic, with the first overall selection, took Dwight Howard, a high schooler who they hope will be the next Lebron (or T-Mac). In the process, Orlando passed over the best college player in the country, who has experience with a proven winner in UCONN. It was a terrible mistake on their part, not taking the sure thing, and taking a big risk on an unproven high schooler.
This success on the Bobcats’ part wasn’t completely based on Charlotte’s luck, though. They traded up in the draft with the Los Angeles Clippers to take the second overall pick, and it has really payed off. They knew that they needed a franchise player, and they put themselves in position to grab one.
Charlotte’s management has had a very public love affair with Emeka. After his workouts with the Bobcats, management’s love for him just grew. Nailing him down provides the player that the Bobcats have needed to fill seats (and eventually win games). Okafor acted as a defensive machine who could also score in his three years at UCONN.
He was an All-American for all three years at Connecticut, and set the career record for blocked shots in the college’s history. His other achievements are too many to name.
I like to compare him to the Detroit Pistons’ Ben Wallace, as long as you add Emeka’s scoring and playmaking abilities to the mix, along with his proven ability to play at a higher level coming into the pros. He can grab boards and the timing of his leaps could have made Michael Jordan think twice about entering the paint. Okafor also adds instant offense, with a Shaq-like dominance in college, and unusual speed and quickness for his size. He can make things happen. The best part about him might be his unusual smarts. He is a very bright kid, both on and off the court. He’s a perfect player to build a franchise around.
What’s not to love about this guy? In a word, I’m ecstatic about Okafor, and how fortunate and just plain lucky we are for getting him.