Kevin Durant making the right move by not returning for NBA playoffs
Former Longhorn superstar forward Kevin Durant is expectedly not likely to make his debut this season with the Brooklyn Nets once the NBA resumes.
Maybe the most talented player ever to come out of the Texas Longhorns basketball program, current Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant, looks like he won’t be coming back this season once the hiatus is officially off next month. Last year during their playoff run, KD tore his achilles tendon just before the Golden State Warriors eventually fell short at the hands of the Toronto Raptors.
Up to the NBA’s season hiatus, from back in mid-March due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Nets didn’t have star point guard Kyrie Irving and KD playing together in a single game. Even Kyrie dealt with various upper-body injury issues this season. This extended rest should at least help him get his body right ahead of the NBA’s restart at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.
According to a report from Marc Spears at The Undefeated, Durant isn’t planning on coming back when the NBA season resumes. This was a lengthy sit down done between Spears and Durant that discussed everything from the recent George Floyd protests and discussions to his injury situation and potential return with the Nets.
Here’s what KD had to say on the matter of his thoughts on his return to game action with the Nets.
Where are you in your rehab process?
I’m doing well. Working out every day. I’m moving. I’m feeling like a normal player again. I’m just in my summertime routine. I’m working out every day and going to the gym in the morning. So, I feel good.
Do you plan to play for the Nets in Orlando or is your season over?
My season is over. I don’t plan on playing at all. We decided last summer when it first happened that I was just going to wait until the following season. I had no plans of playing at all this season.
Do you have any urges to play? Is waiting best for your process?
It’s just best for me to wait. I don’t think I’m ready to play that type of intensity right now in the next month. It gives me more time to get ready for next season and the rest of my career.
Durant stating that “my season is over” and “I don’t plan on playing at all” should be more than enough proof that he’s not willing to come back this season. He already rushed back from one injury last year, and it cost him in the end.
After his option ran up with the Warriors, Durant linked up with Kyrie and the Nets last offseason. That 2019 free agent class was huge, and it turned the Nets into a potential title contender in the Eastern Conference for years to come.
Durant averaged 26.0 points per game, 6.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks. He shot 52.1 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 88.5 percent from the free-throw line. Once he’s able to return for the Nets (very likely next season), he’ll obviously be a huge asset in their quest to win a title.
