Kevin Seraphin came to the New York Knicks looking for a fresh start. He remains the underdog in his journey to achieve just that.
By Chip Murphy
Derrick Williams and Kyle O’Quinn have garnered all the media attention during the preseason, and rightfully so. They have been excellent. Both athletes came to the New York Knicks because they were needed a change of scenery. Williams and O’Quinn shared that need with another new Knick, Kevin Seraphin.
Seraphin signed with the Knicks on a one-year, $2.8 million contract. The French big man needed a change as much as any free agent available this summer. He explained his decision making to the NY Post.
“I didn’t want to be in the same situation as last year where I don’t play all the time and I never know. Sometimes I feel I do everything right and I don’t get to play all the time. At one point, I was like I needed somewhere I can play.’’
His career numbers are not flashy at all, per Basketball-Reference.com. Try and take your eyes off of the basic stats for awhile. By that I mean I’m going to go a little stat geek on you. To quote Sterling Archer, “Sorry in advance for this.”
Kevin Seraphin made 90 of 128 hook shots last season. That’s good for 70% accuracy. It doesn’t take a basketball fan to know how absurd that number is. Just to hammer the point home let me make sure you know how far ahead of players like Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, and LaMarcus Aldridge he is per Basketball-Reference.com. Seraphin has a go to move and he can make the shot with both hands.
His Per 36 minutes stats are fantastic. They show signs of a player with promise who can explode with production if given the opportunity.
Why do they those numbers matter? Most important NBA players log roughly 36 MPG and the idea behind the stat is that production per minute matters more than production per game. The concept is explained well by SportingCharts.com.
Kevin Seraphin played three seasons in his native France before entering the draft in 2010. He has been struggling for playing time ever since. In his five seasons in Washington, Seraphin only averaged 15.3 MPG. As mentioned, it’s part of the reason he wanted to be a Knick.
Seraphin wanted to come to the Knicks because he felt he was being buried in the rotation with his former team, the Washington Wizards. He wants more minutes and is hoping to be the backup center in New York. Seraphin didn’t expect Kyle O’Quinn to be anointed the next Charles Oakley in the middle of the preseason.
Seraphin has struggled with knee problems this month so head coach Derek Fisher has tried to limit his minutes. Fans may not have been able to make him into a folk hero yet but they will get their chance.
Until then Seraphin remains the underdog. Without the hype of O’Quinn and Williams, Seraphin can fly under the radar and become a surprise performer for the Knicks.
Kevin Seraphin can get what he felt he deserved: A fair shot.
.@Kyle_OQuinn and @kevin_seraphin sharing their skills with @jrnba fans! #KnicksTipOff pic.twitter.com/9gNH4tCIUK
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 19, 2015
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