While it could be easy for him to be the reverse, Charlotte Bobcats injured forward Emeka Okafor is a glass half-full type of guy.
In a short span, Okafor went from collegiate All-American to Olympian to rookie standout to completely forgotten, all because of his season-ending right ankle injury this season. But instead of feeling sorry for himself, the second-year Bobcat believes things could be a lot worse.
“I’m not really worried about the injury,” said Okafor in a phone interview. “Maybe there might be some positives out of it. I won’t find out till later…
“I’ve just got to be patient. You just have to understand that you can’t get too down on yourself because there is always somebody in a way worse situation with high hopes.”
The ex-Connecticut star was the 2004 national co-player of the year along with Saint Joseph’s Jameer Nelson. The 6-foot-10, 255-pounder also earned 2004 most outstanding player honors at the Final Four after leading the Huskies to a national title.
Although he was seldom used, he was a member of Team USA’s 2004 bronze medal Olympic team. The Houston native also was the 2005 NBA rookie of the year after averaging rookie highs of 15.1 points and 10.9 rebounds.
“That’s a nice little run, all those accomplishments right there,” Okafor said.
With the Eastern Conference short on star power forwards, Okafor seemed like a strong bet to make the all-star team this season. He was headed there, averaging 13.2 points and 10 rebounds, before his season was ruined by a severe right ankle sprain suffered Dec. 19 against Sacramento. He returned for 21 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in a win over Houston on Jan. 10, the last of 26 games he has played this season. It’s uncertain whether he’ll suit up again this season.
“That’s how life is, though. One minute things are good, one minute things are bad,” he said. “I can’t say it’s bad. I’ll make a full recovery. I’ll be OK. I can’t get too down. It’s just a little hiccup. It will go away.”
Okafor was slapped down again when USA Basketball decided not to ask him to try out for its World Championship team this summer. USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo never contacted him.
“They have great players,” Okafor said. “I would love to be part of it, but that wasn’t the case.”
The time off has been tough for Okafor. To get his mind off it, Okafor has been playing video games and trying to catch up on his favorite television show, “24.”
“Things could have been way worse,” he said. “You got people who have lost their leg entirely. I’m fortunate enough to get this cast off and get back to normal. You just have to keep things light.”
Without Okafor, the Bobcats are terrible, 21-55 entering the weekend. It’s uncertain whether general manager and head coach Bernie Bickerstaff will be stepping down from his coaching duties after this season.
But the Bobcats have reason for optimism. They have a lot of young talent: Okafor; Gerald Wallace, a candidate for most improved player of the year; all-NBA rookie team candidate Raymond Felton; center Primoz Brezec; rookie forward Sean May; and sharpshooter Matt Carroll. Charlotte has its own and possibly Toronto’s first-round pick this year and is expected to be a major player in the highly anticipated 2007 free-agent market.
“Everything’s there,” Okafor said. “We’re going to be all right. We just need a little baking time. We got all the ingredients.”
Big brother’s advice
UConn has more NBA prospects than any other college this year in seniors Hilton Armstrong, Denham Brown and Rashard Anderson and underclassmen Rudy Gay, Marcus Williams and Josh Boone. Williams and Gay have not yet declared for the draft. “I’m starting to get some phone calls now,” said Oka- for, who left UConn after his junior season. “I’m already starting to give them advice. I told them to be careful because there are a lot of snakes out there.”
Jackson deflects attention
Should Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson be considered for coach of the year?
“I shouldn’t be there,” said Jackson, whose team has little talent other than Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom. “There’s so many other guys that have done a great job here this year.”
Jackson mentioned Phoenix’s Mike D’Antoni, Dallas’ Avery Johnson, Detroit’s Flip Saunders and New Orleans’ Byron Scott. The 1996 NBA coach of the year also said the award was “a kiss of death.”
“Every guy that wins it is fired in another year or two,” he said.
Footnotes
TNT Sports analyst Kenny Smith on Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony: “If MVP voting was starting now, he would probably be the first or second candidate. I used to call him a ball-stopper, but now he doesn’t stop the ball, he makes quicker moves….Now he’s just a beast in terms of using his strength and size. That’s where he’s gotten a lot better than last year.”…One Western Conference assistant GM, on last week’s Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, said, “No first-round picks. No surprises.”…Because of new NBA rules, scouts weren’t able to watch the practices of the USA Basketball select team, which includes several of the nation’s top prep seniors, in Memphis for Saturday’s game against the World Team. But since World Team players are pros overseas, scouts were able to attend their practices. Team prospects to keep an eye on include 7-foot Senegal center Saer Sene, Brazilian forward Rafael Hettsheimeir and Serbia and Montenegro guard Igor Milosevic.
Staff writer Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-820-5449 or mspears@denverpost.com. Spears can be heard talking NBA on Thursdays on “Roundball Rap” on 560 AM at 4 p.m.
