Why addition of Kevin Seraphin makes sense for Knicks
New York is reportedly signing Kevin Seraphin. This could be a nice little move.
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1 min read
The New York Knicks will sign center Kevin Seraphin to a one-year, $2.8 million deal, as reported by Sheridan Hoops' Michael Scotto and ESPN's Brian Windhorst. With that, the Knicks have all of these players in their frontcourt: Robin Lopez, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle O'Quinn, Derrick Williams, Lance Thomas, Lou Amundson and now Seraphin. That's a lot of big guys, and Carmelo Anthony is best as a power forward, but this signing still makes a lot of sense.
Seraphin, 25, averaged just 15.6 minutes per game for the Washington Wizards last season. He spent the five first years of his career there, and in that time he grew into a solid bench scorer. There aren't a lot of guys who post up anymore, and New York probably liked that part of his game the best. Seraphin has improved as a passer and has a reliable hook shot, which means he should fit into the triangle offense just fine as Lopez's backup. He's a role player, but the Knicks really got him on an ideal contract.
About that contract, though: He's a rental, and that makes this arrangement complicated. Seraphin always wanted more opportunities to play and more touches in Washington. On this Knicks team, he might get those things, but there will be competition for playing time. Lopez will start and might average more than 30 minutes per game. Porzingis was picked No. 4 overall, Amundson plays extremely hard and O'Quinn is a perfect fit for the triangle. Seraphin obviously wants to prove himself this coming year and then sign a more lucrative, long-term deal next summer, which could be great for his motivation. It also could make him put pressure on himself, gun for numbers and take the team out of its offensive flow.
Who's to say how Seraphin will handle playing in New York? All that's certain is that it's the biggest opportunity of his career, and the Knicks are quietly making another smart, low-risk move.
On that last point: Weird, huh?
