2012 Washington Wizards' Player Evaluations: Kevin Seraphin

It is the end of the season, which marks the point where the Bullets Forever community get to weigh in on how well they think each Wizards player did over the course of the the abbreviated 2011-12 season. Each player is rated on the 1-10 scale. Next up: Kevin Seraphin

Apologies for the brief break, as I had to move all my worldly possessions from one place to another.

Apologies, however, should not be made for Kevin Seraphin, who had one of the most intriguing breakout seasons we have witnessed out of a young Wizards player in recent years. As of this time last year, they were many wondering whether Ernie Grunfeld's trade to acquire the young South American was a reach ,as he failed to make any type of impact during his rookie campaign. More worryingly, he still seemed out of shape and lacking the vertical leaping ability to allow him to play above the rim and effectively challenge opposing players.

There we brief flashes during the early part of the season that Seraphin had vastly improved in the offseason, which earned him the moniker "Manbearpig" from the BF faithful. Unfortunately, his flashes of dominance were normally negated the following evening, as his propensity to pick up cheap fouls or failure to guard quicker post men left him glued to the bench.

Strangely, this all changed following the JaVale McGee trade and the subsequent injury to Nene, Seraphin stepped in and his play was a revelation. Suddenly the Wizards had not one but two centers who played more or less competent pick and roll defense. Making things even better was the fact that Seraphin had an incredibly deft touch around the rim, allowing him to score with either hand and roll off 15 straight double digit point games to close the season. The one remaining concern is his rebounding, as Seraphin only compiled three double-doubles over that same period.

Perhaps my favorite storyline that emerged with Kevin Seraphin this season is that he still has a little bit of "old" Wizard in him. Whether its his birds, "Snakey," or generally congenial demeanor, Seraphin helped remind me that the Wizards still had fun players on the team with a unique identity, they just hadn't had the opportunity to let it shine.

This season will be an interesting one for Seraphin, as he will be splitting time in the frontcourt with a healed Nene and Trevor Booker. In truth, he is Randy Wittman's success story, and I would not be surprised to see Seraphin get the lion's share of minutes at center with Nene at the power forward spot. Where this leaves Trevor Booker, I do not know. But the old adage is that you are only as good as your last performance, and Seraphin's string of excellent ones almost ensure him a large role next year.