Ed Szczepanski- USA Today Sports
Chris Singleton has the build to be a dominant forward in the NBA. During his three-year stint at Florida State University, Singleton became a defensive force. Not only did he average over 1.5 blocks per game, but he was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 and 2011. It is a shame these numbers haven’t translated into his pro play.
Over the last two seasons while playing for the Washington Wizards, Singleton has averaged just a mere 4.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 0.4 BPG. But this could be justified by a lack of consistent playing time. Singleton will most likely need to stick to the small forward position due to the logjam the Wizards have in the frontcourt with Emeka Okafor, Nene and Al Harrington.
Heading into the 2013-2014 season, Singleton needs to prove he is deserving of more than the 19 minutes he has averaged since joining the league in 2011. His average of block shots per game need to improve drastically if he wants to become a top-notch defensive forward. Playing at the small forward position, Singleton will have to compete for minutes with both Otto Porter Jr. and Trevor Ariza, who are both very good defenders.
If given the opportunity, Singleton could be a top-15 forward in the league. Having a 7-foot-1 wingspan makes him a potentially devastating shot blocker, and his frame allows him to also be a decent rebounder. Singleton needs to go back to the fundamentals and develop low post moves in order to compete with the dearth of talent at the small forward position in the NBA.
