Center Emeka Okafor has earned himself a second 10-day contract from the big-man-starved New Orleans Pelicans, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times.
The once second overall pick by the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Charlotte Hornets) started alongside Anthony Davis and had some serious impact in limited playing time, putting up eight points, seven rebounds (six offensive), and a block in only 14 minutes of play.
Okafor has only played in three of the five games since getting signed after a five-year absence from the NBA world, but the 35-year-old has shown he still has some gas in the tank and the means to help a frontcourt-deflated Pelicans team that is looking for ways to crack a competitive Western Conference Playoff scene.
The Connecticut product excelled during a 20-minute outing against the Philadelphia 76ers last week, putting up an efficient four points, eight rebounds, two assists, and four blocked shots — making an impact all-around for a team that had lost a player of magnitude in DeMarcus Cousins.
Cousins ruptured his Achilles tendon last month, putting the Pelicans in a state of emergency, actively searching for a capable center to fill in at the position and help Davis hold down the fort for the remainder of the year.
The Pelicans traded for Nikola Mirotic, a dynamic stretch-four that will help them with his outside shot, bringing a much-needed scoring punch, but they were unable to make another trade before the deadline, resulting in the need for Okafor to step in and fill in at center.
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