The Washington Wizards likely will be without the services of Emeka Okafor and Chris Singleton to start the season. In light of the injuries, Kevin Seraphin could have a much bigger role and find himself in the starting five.
Okafor is out indefinitely with a herniated disc in his neck. Doctors diagnosed the 30-year-old center with a herniated C4 cervical disc after Okafor experienced discomfort in his neck, according to the team statement. He plans to undergo rehab to correct the injury and reduce the inflammation.
"I have worked hard over the summer and was looking forward to the start of training camp next week, so this is a disappointing and frustrating situation for me," Okafor said in the statement. "But I have confidence that my teammates and coaches will be able to continue to take steps towards our goal of making the playoffs and that I will be able to do my part to help them once I return."
Singleton is also likely to miss the start of the season after breaking his foot. The forward underwent surgery on Wednesday after suffering a Jones fracture in his left foot, the Washington Times reports. He sustained the injury on Tuesday during voluntary work outs at the Verizon Center.
He's expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
Losing Okafor is a big loss for Washington. Okafor was a defensive anchor and nearly averaged a double-double last season with 9.7 points and 8.8 rebounds. His productivity in the paint increased when John Wall returned to form in early March.
With Okafor's absence, Seraphin would likely move into the starting rotation. The 23-year-old big man spent last season coming off the bench, averaging a career-high 9.1 points per game.
Seraphin, six-foot-nine, can play power forward or center, leading to the likelihood of Nene switching from the 4-spot and returning to center.
Singleton, a 2011 first-round draft pick known more for his defense, averaged just 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds off the bench last season. Although he played in all 66 games his rookie season, he saw a reduced role last year and would likely fight for playing time behind Otto Porter and Trevor Ariza.
Training camp begins on Sept. 28 at George Mason University.
