Hornets general manager Jeff Bower expects Emeka Okafor to be better offensively alongside point guard Chris Paul.
Okafor has averaged a double-double in each of his first five NBA seasons, and Bower expects the center's low-post skills to attract attention from opposing defenses.
New Orleans acquired Okafor from Charlotte on Tuesday in exchange for Tyson Chandler.
"This has been a bit of a slow-moving process. We have been in discussions with (the Bobcats) for a while. We've been in a lot of discussions with various teams and remain in them. This is a step forward for us. It gives us another element to our front line," Bower told the Times-Picayune.
New Orleans also expects their defense to improve with Okafor, and that the former Connecticut star will be able to help Chris Paul start the fast break with his rebounding and passing.