February 6, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards power forward Kevin Seraphin (13) and Washington Wizards center Emeka Okafor (50) celebrate on the bench on the final seconds of the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 106-96. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

There has been a lot of speculation about which player on the Wizards roster will step up with Emeka Okafor being out of the lineup indefinitely. The only logical answer to the question that has been coming up is; Kevin Seraphin.

Seraphin took a giant step back from his sophomore season in the NBA, where it looked like he could potentially turn into Washington’s big man of the future. Instead of taking ill-advised mid range jump shots, looking lost on defense, and just flat out being inefficient, Seraphin utilized the skills which earned him the opportunity to blossom. Unfortunately, Seraphin picked up some awful habits during his third year which put him in head coach Randy Wittman’s dog house throughout the season.

Now that Okafor is out, Randy Wittman won’t have many other options than to give Seraphin more of an opportunity to showcase his skills during this upcoming season. According to Wittman, Seraphin has looked great during the offseason, especially since he decided not to represent France in the EuroBasket tournament, but rather stay in the nation’s capital to improve his game.

Kevin (Seraphin) is a more confident person in himself right now. He’s had two years where he’s played. Once you realize and believe that you belong, you carry yourself differently. I noticed that in him.

-via CSN Washington

In theory, the Wizards should improve offensively with Kevin Seraphin in the lineup, especially since Okafor doesn’t possess the back to the basket nor faceup game Seraphin has. He’s already established his patented hook shot, now he needs to capitalize in the other situations opposing defenses put him in. I can recall too many times where Seraphin turned the ball over, simply because he didn’t know what do to when double-teamed. Seraphin has the tools and capabilities to become a very good player in the NBA, especially since young big men tend to be raw offensively. In fact, players that have similar skill-sets to Kevin Seraphin have become a rarity in the NBA. It’s important that Seraphin doesn’t remain a liability defensively, since that’s essentially the only way the Wizards could remain competitive without Okafor on the floor. The little things are what separates “good” players from “great ones”. Even though he still lacks the awareness or ability to recognize when/when not to shoot, I think that could potentially change when he’s sharing the court with John Wall and Nene.

Kevin Seraphin has taken advantage of opportunities in the past, and with Okafor gone, he’ll definitely have to find a way to fill his new role with the team. Unlike some of the other forwards entering the final guaranteed season under their contract, Seraphin will probably be handed a larger opportunity than he got last season.

What are your thoughts on Kevin Seraphin? Do you think he will be able to adjust to his new role with the Wizards? Let me know in the comment section.