Kevin Seraphin A Distinct NBA prospect from France
Kevin Seraphin may not be an excellent perimeter shooter just like his national teammates in France; but he is still blessed with great physical attributes. At 6’10, Seraphin has a huge wingspan, and wears a 268-pound frame. He can run the floor well and a top rebounder and shot blocker in the ultra-athletic French Pro A League.
Despite of his assets, he has still a long way to go before he can achieve a complete package.
Seraphin, who was a native of French Guinea, began playing at the age of 15. The person who discovered him was Cholet junior team coach Jean-Francois Martin. Since then, he has gradually projected to be a starter this season. To date, he has played as a starter in 13 out of the last 20 games for the number one team in France.
In the 2008-09 season, Seraphin has only played limited minutes on the French junior national team. In the U-20 European Championships, he played a big role with Cholet.
Then, he was just averaging 16 minutes per game; yet, Seraphin has shown tremendous improvements in almost every statistical aspect this season. He has increased his scores, as he gets to the foul line more frequently. He also does an improved performance managing the glass, as he plays more as a shot blocker, along with increasing his assists and reducing his turnovers.
On the offensive end, Seraphin still proves to be a raw NBA prospect. One good point on his offense is his wise utilization of his body to free some open space in the post and dunk the ball in a very fashionable manner. The downside of his game is that he lacks advanced footwork and post moves. He does not also have wise judgment at most times. When he gets double teamed, he has absolute tendency to make quick and poor decisions.
Indeed, he needs to work hard to improve his spin moves, pivots and countermoves in the post to have the necessary bullets in his possible entry in the NBA.
In addition to his potential as a player, he also boosts of having a good jump hook which he can do using either hand.
Still, Seraphin has a long list of skills that he has to work on. These include his activity level and intensity level as well. He still has to work on his ball-handling skills, and his mid-range jumper.
On the defensive end, Seraphin is certainly useful with his great length, strength and athleticism. He has also showcased wonderful timing when moving from the weak side and doing pick-and-rolls. At the same time, he still has the mobility to go back to his man due to his agile feet and lateral quickness. And also, he is very tough to post up because of his wide frame plus the added effort he mixes on it.
Having all these in mind, he was considered to be in distinct class of NBA prospects. But his inexperience still needs to be remedied as he goes a long way in his career.
Seraphin has only played basketball for 5 years; definitely, he has to play catch up with other NBA prospects of his age. The good thing is that he is adjusting quickly with his role on the team.
His greatest assets would be his high ceiling, and his being a smart and humble player, which are plus factors for him in the upcoming NBA draft.
NBA scouts and coaches must scrutinize each and every player before they make their decision. They will never know until they dig deep into a player’s profile and background.
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