The Golden State Warriors need not take a chance on Emeka Okafor, who’s attempting to make an NBA comeback after being out the past three years.
After suffering a herniated disk in his neck while playing for the Washington Wizards in the 2012-13 season, 6-foot-10-inch big man Emeka Okafor is looking to make an NBA comeback with a 2016-17 title contender, and the Golden State Warriors are at the very top of his list of potential teams to join.
Okafor proved in his nine years in the league that he could be a capable rim protector, averaging 1.7 blocks per game over his career, and he was also a proven rebounder with a career average 9.9 rebounds per game. Without a doubt, a healthy Okafor could be the defensive anchor the Warriors desperately need on their roster.
"Okafor turns 34 in September. League sources said last season he spoke with (the) Cleveland (Cavaliers), Miami (Heat) and Golden State (Warriors) before deciding to delay his return….Warriors general manager Bob Myers, whose club lost big men Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli and Marreese Speights in the purge to make room for free agent Kevin Durant, said he had “a conversation” with Okafor a couple of months ago and will monitor the big man’s progress."
And while he lacks the potential to be an inside presence on the offensive end, he still holds a career average of 12.3 points per game, and he wouldn’t exactly need to be much of an scoring threat while surrounded by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant.
But with Curry and the gang now with multiple years of playoff experience under their belts, the Warriors are no longer the type of team that needs to add affordable veteran contracts, but rather, talented and developing millennials who show potential to grow alongside Golden State’s core.
Plus, there’s no guarantees with Okafor as he works back from injury, not to mention the fact Okafor is three years removed from playing in the NBA; in other words, it’s tough to say an aging and hobbled center/power forward could find his niche in a league that’s now that much younger and centered around quick, sharpshooting guards.
San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford put it best:
"“We always pay attention to whatever is out there,” Buford said. “But Emeka is three years removed from a time when his body was letting him down.“It’s just hard to get enough information to evaluate a player like that, who won’t be in training camp, who hasn’t had game action for a prolonged period of time.”In addition, Okafor wouldn’t even be making his season debut until December or January. If the Warriors really wanted to, they could keep their final roster spot open until then, but who’s to say the Warriors would see him as a necessary addition to their roster with half the season finished? As Bob Myers said about the situation: “We have 14 players right now, but you learn every year that someone you didn’t expect to be available becomes an option,” Myers said. “Ideally, you try to have the flexibility to keep a spot open in case that happens.”Who knows? The Warriors could find a D-League standout to round out their roster, or maybe Damian Jones, Kevon Looney, or James Michael McAdoo prove themselves better fits as small ball centers.My best case scenario: JaVale McGee‘s basketball IQ dramatically improves while participating in Golden State’s training camp, proving to be both a solid rim protector and an athletic lob catcher to give the Warriors that 2-way threat inside.Bottom line: the Warriors don’t need Okafor to make their find their way back to the Finals.Published on 08/14/2016 at 7:00 AM PDTLast updated on 08/14/2016 at 7:00 AM PDT “We always pay attention to whatever is out there,” Buford said. “But Emeka is three years removed from a time when his body was letting him down.“It’s just hard to get enough information to evaluate a player like that, who won’t be in training camp, who hasn’t had game action for a prolonged period of time.”“We have 14 players right now, but you learn every year that someone you didn’t expect to be available becomes an option,” Myers said. “Ideally, you try to have the flexibility to keep a spot open in case that happens.”"