After a season below expectations in New York, Kevin Seraphin said in a recent interview he is looking to “revive” himself, potentially switching positions from center to power forward.
“My goal is really to put me in the right way, we will say, and revive me,” Seraphin told the French magazine Reverse. “I work a lot on my shot and my starts against the club, and of course my cardio because you have to stay in shape. I want to gradually shift to the position four.”
Among the many players the New York Knicks declined to bring back for next season, Seraphin has yet to ink a deal with another NBA team.
The talented, 26-year-old French center signed a one-year contract with New York last summer, but found himself on the tail end of the rotation as the season progressed. Seraphin appeared in just 48 games and averaged only 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 11 minutes with the Knicks last season.
“When I arrived, Derek Fisher was trying to find his place himself, he sought his bearings as a coach and his way of winning,” Seraphin said. “He had his five, but after for the rotation, he was looking for. He tried all possible combinations. In the end, Kyle and me, it very much impacted us.”
Seraphin said despite his lack of play time, he read books on how to stay positive.
“Obviously, you’re frustrated, you want to play, you think you have the level, but at the same time you try to stay positive because you know it’s a team sport and you cannot let your frustration rub off and affect the team,” he said.
One bright spot for the French big man last season was his play at the power forward. His net 48-minute production at the four was more than twice his production at the five last season, according to 82games.com.
Seraphin said he will slowly work on his game so he can shift to the power forward for next season.
“Being in New York, it opened my eyes to (small ball) because in the end, the coach plays me a lot at the four and I followed good performance, so I think that’s where my future is,” Seraphin told Reverse.
Asked if he had the feeling of having been penalized in New York because of his play style, Seraphin said: “With the Triangle in New York, it’s not that I got penalized, but this system is very closed. So much so that for them, each (position) had a very specific role and it is true that my game does not match the position of five in this device, while in four position, it’s perfect for me.”
Several NBA free agents, including Russ Smith and Shane Larkin, opted to accept deals to play basketball overseas. Seraphin said he is confident he will make a team.
“With having spent a season on the bench, I have great confidence in me. I have the potential, that I know,” Seraphin said. “I know very well that I am able to play in the NBA. (I have to) find the right team and the right coach to play me. But it starts with me and the work I do this summer to really revive me.”
You can read Reverse’s full interview with Seraphin here.
