Kevin Seraphin

[gordito]

Two questions:

1) What do you guys think happens with Vesely now that Seraphin has emerged? Do you see the Wizards front office being content with making Vesely (their high lottery pick) take a backseat so soon to another less-touted youngster?

2) What do you predict Seraphin could average next year with a full season under his belt? With the way things are going, I could see him putting up 16/8.5/2 if given ~33 minutes a game, but as mentioned earlier, Washington has a crowded frontcourt, and there's no telling what they do come next season as far as rotations go (i.e. I wouldn't be completely surprised if he went back to a reserve role with a Healthy Nene).

[manou]

I told you all way back in september that Seraphin was clearly a better player for the French national team. Glad he's breaking out for you, you certainly deserve some good this season, that's coming from a spurs fan.

[dangermouse]

That is the starting PF and C next season. Book it.

Hey hey hey hey hey hey.... pump ya brakes.

Davis/Nene, dude.

Or better yet, Davis/Seraphin and we trade Nene for a good wing player

Seraphin's play is very encouraging. Especially against a good defensive team in the Bulls with a top defensive C.

Im going to wait for a bigger sample size before shouting his name from the rooftops though. Burned too many times with huge play from Wizards during a short period of time. But, I dont think hes a Blatche or McGee.

[closg00]

I thought it would take years for Kevin to get where he is currently, Wiz finally score a steal in the draft.

[jangles86]

I think he's going to be the best bigman in the draft after monroe was drafted, at least in the long run. I think he could come over now and give us 10-15 minutes of decent play.

Great call on draft day

[le crapaud]

I just hope he doesn't go overboard with national team basketball.

Do you realize the impact french national team had on him last summer? You must think training is far better than playing a competition, especially olympics. He's got a taste of the floor with France first, then with one of the hardest coach in Europe, Dusko Ivanovic, at Vitoria where he's been missed. They just loved him there, even if it was just for a couple of months.

Kevin needs one thing to get better : playing time. You can see he'll never sleep on his recent form, the kid will always work his ass off. It's just his mentality. Despize the lack of playing time before Mcgee got traded he kept on working harder and harder everyday. I know it seems logical if you want to play but c'mon, there are not that much players who would have done that without moaning. He is dedicated and just love the game. He wants to compete with Howard, Bynum etc.

Being a french I'm just glad for him, he is showing he is a terrific player with a great attitude. Not only i'm hoping he'll be in national team (there is no doubt anyway. He'll play olympics), but I want him to get more minutes than Noah because I think he's a better player and he deserves it.

[nate33]

Two questions:

1) What do you guys think happens with Vesely now that Seraphin has emerged? Do you see the Wizards front office being content with making Vesely (their high lottery pick) take a backseat so soon to another less-touted youngster?

2) What do you predict Seraphin could average next year with a full season under his belt? With the way things are going, I could see him putting up 16/8.5/2 if given ~33 minutes a game, but as mentioned earlier, Washington has a crowded frontcourt, and there's no telling what they do come next season as far as rotations go (i.e. I wouldn't be completely surprised if he went back to a reserve role with a Healthy Nene).

1. As of now, it's a no-brainer. Vesely isn't nearly as good as Nene or Seraphin so of course he'll take a backseat to them. The real question is whether Booker also takes Vesely's minutes, bumping him back to 4th big man and relegating him to just 10 minutes a night. Vesely is going to have to get stronger and work on his shot in the offseason.

2. I don't think Seraphin will average 16 a game when playing alongside Nene. It's kind of hard to consistently force feed the paint in today's game. With Nene also getting post up opportunities, I don't think Seraphin will get quite as many. I also doubt if he'll average 33 minutes a night. I expect more like 29-30, at least when Nene is healthy. That said, things could get interesting if Seraphin continues to improve his jumper. He seems pretty reliable out to 15 feet. If he can get that out to 18 feet, then he'll get a lot more shot opportunities.

[nate33]

That said, things could get interesting if Seraphin continues to improve his jumper. He seems pretty reliable out to 15 feet. If he can get that out to 18 feet, then he'll get a lot more shot opportunities.

Hmm. According to BasketballValue.com, Seraphin has shot 54.9% from 16-23 feet in March and April. The sample size is fairly small (1 attempt per game), but that's an excellent percentage.

[azer95]

KS posted a new article on his blog => http://www.lequipe.fr/Basket/Actualites ... rts/277616 ... You 'll find a quick translation (sorry of there are some mistakes).

"Rewarded for my work

I made ​​the best NBA game of my career against the Orlando Magic with 24 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Before the game, I was very confident and ready to play. Everything went well during the match, I had oppotunities on offense by playing simple, and I realized a good performance. I was so happy! From a personal point of view, this is my reference game with Washington. Even if Dwight Howard did not play that night, I still had to face another very physical player in the person of Glen "Big Baby" Davis. When I got home and surf the web after the meeting, I realized that my Twitter exploded. The same morning, I had fewer than 5,000 followers. A few hours after my performance against Orlando, I had more than 50 000 followers! I think the explanation is that I was named player of the evening by the NBA website.

What happens to me in recent weeks is a reward for the work that I have provided for several months or even years. The work always pays, that's what I always say. It makes me extremely happy but also gives confidence, and confidence is very important for a top athlete. I went through some moments of doubt during the season and the good time that I currently have helping me to consider the coming months more serenely. My last performance show how I can be useful to the team in the coming years. I score points for the next season.

Nevertheless, I do not rely on my achievements. I'm still young and I have to progress in some areas of my game. That's why coach Randy Wittman and his assistants talk to me all the time. They advise me on my game and on the general attitude that I have on the court. The coach is very demanding with me, he gives me good point when I do something good but he also doesn't hesitate to correct me when I make a mistake. I really appreciate this kind of attitude because it helps me to grow day after day. Every night I have to prove him that he's right when he gives me confidence by putting me as a starter.

About the team , the results aren't always what you want despite the fact that we play much better in recent weeks. Even if we are no longer in the race for the playoffs for a lot of weeks, the season isn't over yet. It's a mistake to think that we are already on holiday. We take the last few weeks to work together for the following season. It's important to not overlook games we have to play. We can say that this is kind of the first part of the pre-season 2012-2013.

I'm already thinking about the French team and the possibility of competing in the Olympics. With other French NBA players, we talk quite often. It's a childhood dream for all of us. Child, if you had told me that I would play in the NBA one day and I might have the opportunity to play the Olympics, I do not believe you a second. During my visit to Vitoria last fall, I remember having talked with Pablo Prigioni, who won a bronze medal in Beijing in 2008 with the selection of Argentina. He told me it was a great experience to participate in such an event. Making the Olympics and win a medal must procure an indescribable joy. That would be so huge to live such an adventure."

[jangles86]

Well go France!

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

KS posted a new article on his blog => http://www.lequipe.fr/Basket/Actualites ... rts/277616 ... You 'll find a quick translation (sorry of there are some mistakes).

"Rewarded for my work

I made ​​the best NBA game of my career against the Orlando Magic with 24 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Before the game, I was very confident and ready to play. Everything went well during the match, I had oppotunities on offense by playing simple, and I realized a good performance. I was so happy! From a personal point of view, this is my reference game with Washington. Even if Dwight Howard did not play that night, I still had to face another very physical player in the person of Glen "Big Baby" Davis. When I got home and surf the web after the meeting, I realized that my Twitter exploded. The same morning, I had fewer than 5,000 followers. A few hours after my performance against Orlando, I had more than 50 000 followers! I think the explanation is that I was named player of the evening by the NBA website.

What happens to me in recent weeks is a reward for the work that I have provided for several months or even years. The work always pays, that's what I always say. It makes me extremely happy but also gives confidence, and confidence is very important for a top athlete. I went through some moments of doubt during the season and the good time that I currently have helping me to consider the coming months more serenely. My last performance show how I can be useful to the team in the coming years. I score points for the next season.

Nevertheless, I do not rely on my achievements. I'm still young and I have to progress in some areas of my game. That's why coach Randy Wittman and his assistants talk to me all the time. They advise me on my game and on the general attitude that I have on the court. The coach is very demanding with me, he gives me good point when I do something good but he also doesn't hesitate to correct me when I make a mistake. I really appreciate this kind of attitude because it helps me to grow day after day. Every night I have to prove him that he's right when he gives me confidence by putting me as a starter.

About the team , the results aren't always what you want despite the fact that we play much better in recent weeks. Even if we are no longer in the race for the playoffs for a lot of weeks, the season isn't over yet. It's a mistake to think that we are already on holiday. We take the last few weeks to work together for the following season. It's important to not overlook games we have to play. We can say that this is kind of the first part of the pre-season 2012-2013.

I'm already thinking about the French team and the possibility of competing in the Olympics. With other French NBA players, we talk quite often. It's a childhood dream for all of us. Child, if you had told me that I would play in the NBA one day and I might have the opportunity to play the Olympics, I do not believe you a second. During my visit to Vitoria last fall, I remember having talked with Pablo Prigioni, who won a bronze medal in Beijing in 2008 with the selection of Argentina. He told me it was a great experience to participate in such an event. Making the Olympics and win a medal must procure an indescribable joy. That would be so huge to live such an adventure."

Kevin Seraphin is a very cerebral player. He is thoughtful, methodical, and above all highly coachable. He is young in age but an old sage, wise beyond his years. This young man struggled last season and I see why now. Seraphin is analytical and he demands much of himself. He said himself confidence is very important. Last season, he had injury problems, conditioning problems, language issues to overcome, and IMO struggles with his confidence.

I am really happy that Ernie Grunfeld drafted Kevin Seraphin. Kevin is coachable and he sounds very humble. I can tell he is a very hard worker.

Randy Wittman deserves a great deal of credit for helping the development of the Wizards. This interim coach isn't like the last interim coach the Wizards had (Ed Tapscott). Randy is flexible in his approach to lineups and he is really doing a great job giving all the players on the team opportunities to grow their games. Wittman does stay on Kevin. Randy reminds me of what I think a good parent does. He holds young people accountable but he's also very good at praising them when they've done well.

Wittman has done a fine job as coach. I really wouldn't mind having him around another season at all.

[BigA]

Isn't it about time for fans of other teams to start coming over here with ridiculously lopsided Seraphin trades?

[Severn Hoos]

Well go France!

So if I see Keveen on one side, matched up against LeBron, Wade, and Kobe on the other, and start humming La Marseillaise, would that make me less of an American?

[nate33]

Well go France!

So if I see Keveen on one side, matched up against LeBron, Wade, and Kobe on the other, and start humming La Marseillaise, would that make me less of an American?

It is a bit disturbing that so many of the French players are likable (guys like Seraphin, Turiaf and Parker), while some of the Americans are really annoying (LeBron, Kobe, Blake Griffin, etc.)

That said, we'll at least have Kevin Durant and Kevin Love as really good, really likable guys.

[Upper Decker]

How do we know this isn't April-Fool's Dray part two?? In 2010 Dray put up something like 20/8/3 for 32 games and didn't have terrible efficiency. Part of the reason he put up such good numbers is because someone had to score and someone had to rebound. How is this any different? Someone has to play CE and Seraphin is the only healthy one of the team. The expecatations are extremely low right now, as they were then, and Washington hasn't been winning.

My fear is that next year we'll come into the season with higher expectations for KS, but he'll disappoint, just like Dray did in 2011, because his role get squeezed and the opportunities decrease.

It seems like KS's work ethic is better than Drays, but their productions is eerily similar during their breakout periods. Neither got to the line much, neither were strong rebounders, both shot roughly 50% from the floor, both teams lost a lot of games.

[verbal8]

How do we know this isn't April-Fool's Dray part two?? In 2010 Dray put up something like 20/8/3 for 32 games and didn't have terrible efficiency. Part of the reason he put up such good numbers is because someone had to score and someone had to rebound. How is this any different? Someone has to play CE and Seraphin is the only healthy one of the team. The expecatations are extremely low right now, as they were then, and Washington hasn't been winning.

I think it is good to temper expectations a bit. I am sure if Booker was playing he might look like a poor man's charles barkley(or at least charles oakley). I think solid starter should be the projection for Seraphin not All-Star.

It seems like KS's work ethic is better than Drays, but their productions is eerily similar during their breakout periods. Neither got to the line much, neither were strong rebounders, both shot roughly 50% from the floor, both teams lost a lot of games.

I think this makes all the difference in the world. Seraphin has always been a hard-working basketball player, and there is no reason to expect that he will not continue to be one. We don't know 100%, but the evidence seems to point to Blatche working hard for a short period, having good(but not spectacular counting efficiency) results, but failing to maintain it.

[GUYANNAGRIZZLI]

Bradley Beal would be a good draft pick for the wiz because i think they have good players inside (KS, NENE, VESELY, BOOKER, singleton) but outside they need more shooters like Bradley Beal who is a eric gordon style player or a sf like harrison barnes who can shoot at 3 point or kid- gilchrist less 3point shooter but big potential.
Also i think wiz need to amniestied rashard Lewis who earns 22millions which is just a joke for what he can do in the court because in offense he is half he was and in defense he is poor. And it will be great to offer big contract for Batum who is great defender in SF and good scorer( 40% 3pts)' tippical player who makes teams win which is the main area where wiz needs to improve.
Of course i 've forgot but everybody agree to trade blatch and even pay him to go away.
For NEXT YEAR TO IMPROVE IN 3 POINTS AREA IT WOULD be BRIGHT TO GRAB GARY NEAL AND dany green from san antonio who are free agents and have the experience of winning a lot and very reliable 3 point shooters and i think with that team wiz go to playoffs and way above salary cap.

[TheKingOfVa360]

Love the kid Seraphins attitude.

[nate33]

How do we know this isn't April-Fool's Dray part two?? In 2010 Dray put up something like 20/8/3 for 32 games and didn't have terrible efficiency. Part of the reason he put up such good numbers is because someone had to score and someone had to rebound. How is this any different? Someone has to play CE and Seraphin is the only healthy one of the team. The expecatations are extremely low right now, as they were then, and Washington hasn't been winning.

My fear is that next year we'll come into the season with higher expectations for KS, but he'll disappoint, just like Dray did in 2011, because his role get squeezed and the opportunities decrease.

It seems like KS's work ethic is better than Drays, but their productions is eerily similar during their breakout periods. Neither got to the line much, neither were strong rebounders, both shot roughly 50% from the floor, both teams lost a lot of games.

April Fools Dray averaged 22 points, 8.3 boards and 3.6 rebounds in 32 games after the All Star Break in 2009/10. However, he did so relatively inefficiently. His TS% for that period was just .522 and he turned the ball over 3.4 times a game. And it was only as high as high as .522 because he was crazy efficient in the month of February (posting a TS% of .590). In March and April, his TS% dropped to .499. Also, much of his improved scoring came from a radical increase in his shooting percentage from 16-23 feet. For the majority of his career, Blatche has shot between 30-35% from 16-23 feet. Inexplicably during February of 2010, he shot 46% from 16-23 feet. Radical increases in perimeter shooting percentages generally regress to the mean over time.

Seraphin's story gives a bit more reason for optimism. His scoring has been much more efficient, with a TS% around .580 in March and April, with turnovers down around 2 per game. And he is more efficient because he is getting more touches in the paint and converting them - something that seems more likely to be sustainable.

I do expect to see a dropoff in Seraphin's efficiency as teams game plan to stop him. But hopefully, that won't be as much of a problem next year with Nene to share the scoring burden and defensive attention. Unlike Blatche, I think Seraphin's game will be more complimentary with other offensive threats.

[FAH1223]

During April Fool's Dray of 2010, the team had a 16 game losing streak while Blatche put up those numbers.

The Wizards haven't been winning but they're a better team than that 2010 one. The Wizards have shown this season they can play with just about any team, but the talent level is still not there and the biggest holes on the roster are on the wings