The Washington Wizards have lost centre Emeka Okafor, as he is out indefinitely with a herniated cervical disk in his neck. Okafor was expected to start for the Wizards up front with Nene but it is now unclear when he will be ready to return to the Wizards lineup or even if he’ll be able to play at all this season.
“I have worked hard over the summer and was looking forward to the start of training camp next week, so this is a disappointing and frustrating situation for me,” said Okafor in a statement released by the team confirming the injury. “But I have confidence that my teammates and coaches will be able to continue to take steps towards our goal of making the playoffs and that I will be able to do my part to help them once I return.”
It is hoped that Okafor will be able to avoid surgery on his neck and can return to the lineup after rest and rehab, but there are no guarantees, especially given the location of the injury.
Okafor is set to make $14.5 million this season in the final year of his contract. Last season Okafor averaged 9.7 points and 8.8 rebounds a game for the Wizards, giving the team a stable presence in the paint.
The Wizards have also lost forward Chris Singleton for 6-8 weeks with a broken foot. While Singleton was not a huge contributor, the injury just further depletes the Wizards depth off the bench.
The Wizards will have to count on a rotation of Kevin Seraphin, Al Harrington, Jan Vesely and Trevor Booker to fill the hole upfront without Okafor, and hope that he can return in time to help the team make the playoffs.
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