I like the Okafor move for two reasons:
1. It gives the Hornets a little more offense while not sacrificing defense comparatively
2. Ownership has proven they are dedicated to providing a winner now.
Okafor saves the Hornets a little over $1 million this upcoming season but is on the books for $40 million the next 3 seasons. Emeka gives Chris Paul a running mate and is the only player, other than Posey, whose contract runs fully with Paul's. There is no question that Okafor is an offensive upgrade over Tyson Chandler. If I had a nickel for every terrible low-post move Tyson has exposed to the world, I would be able to fund this country's bail-out. Okafor is not as bad on defense as everyone says he is. Watch the game footage. He seems to have trouble keeping people out of the post but the majority of the centers he will face are exterior post players. Only Howard and O'Neal still bang down low on a consistent basis. Emeka should be able to slow others with his exceptional timing and length.
The New Orleans Hornets have also finally shown that they are willing to spend money to make the team better. For a long time, it was assumed that George Shinn would only trade Tyson for salary cap reasons. Okafor shows a commitment to winning that Shinn did not display earlier this offseason. I think the Hornets still need to make another move (Michael Redd when the Bucks inevitably suck?) but for now they are a better team on paper.
Ike Diogu, one of the most tantalizing players in the NBA. Ever since he has entered the league, Diogu's per 40 numbers have been absolutely spectacular. He is the perfect backup for someone like David West. Diogu has been able to produce efficiently and hits his free throws at a nice clip. The only problem, that I see, is that he is a bit turnover prone. Of course compared to Hilton Armstrong, Diogu is Fort Knox.
(Speaking of Hilton Armstrong, I read Tip Off: How the 1984 NBA Draft Changed Basketball Forever by Fillip Bondy. In the epilogue, it talks about the 2006 NBA draft and how teams were trying to trade up to get Hilton Armstrong. Can you believe that now? Every GM who was unable to make that trade is probably breathing a big sigh of relief now. I can't believe that was the thinking.)
So for now, the Hornets have improved. We are still paying too much money but hopefully we can get rid of Antonio Daniels and others to make this team even better.
