Washington center scores career high vs. Lakers
Kevin Seraphin’s minutes in his second NBA season haven’t exactly been regular. While the Wizards’ unfortunate abundance of blowout losses have afforded the reserve center plenty of glorified garbage minutes, he hasn’t often been involved in clutch situations or close games.
Recommended Stories
He’s also had the most impressive court time of his short career against two of the most physically imposing and dominant big men in the game. One week after starting and holding his own for the second time this season against Orlando center Dwight Howard, Seraphin (3.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 13.4 minutes per game) finished with a career-high 14 points and matched his career high with nine rebounds against Andrew Bynum in the Wizards’ 106-101 upset victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. In between, he didn’t play at all against Cleveland and just six minutes vs. Golden State.
“That’s difficult because one game ago I did not play,” Seraphin said. “Last game I play. Now I have to come back out and play against the L.A. Lakers, so I was just not thinking. Just play, go out on the court and try to do what is asked me to do and do my thing and that’s it.”
| Up Next |
| Blazers at Wizards |
| When » Saturday, 7 p.m. |
| Where » Verizon Center |
| TV » CSN |
Wizards coach Randy Wittman was worried before the game about the Lakers’ combination of Bynum and Pau Gasol — one of the biggest frontlines in the league. Afterward, his tone changed.
“This team he was made for,” said Wittman, who initially gave Seraphin help but by late in the game was letting Seraphin handle things on his own. “Bynum, Gasol, they even went down to [Josh] McRoberts. He likes that, banging, those guys, and he did a good job with that, with Bynum. At the end, when we got up five, I didn’t want to trap anymore.”
Listed at 6-foot-10, 278 pounds, Seraphin gave up height and weight to Bynum, but he and fellow frontcourt teammate Trevor Booker — who at 6-8, 235 also plays undersized almost every night — seem to prefer it that way.
“Have you seen his body?,” said Booker, who has also guarded the 6-11, 265-pound Howard. “He’s huge. I think he might be the strongest player I’ve ever played against. He’s so strong, and he uses it to his advantage.”
In his second year, the game and the culture have both come more naturally to the French Guyana native. His English has improved dramatically, and his poise in and around the basket has been more pronounced. He combined an active presence on the boards with a couple of very smooth short jumpers against the Lakers.
With his only start of the year coming partly as punishment for JaVale McGee, Seraphin seems unlikely to make a permanent move up in Wittman’s rotation, and Ronny Turiaf could displace him further upon his return from a broken left hand.
Maybe the Wizards should just save Seraphin for when they play against All-Stars.
“This is the NBA,” Seraphin said. “Last year, I did that a lot. You have to be ready all the time. You have to know, sometime you play, sometime you will not play. That feel very good.”
