Kevin Durant is one of the finest players the NBA has ever seen. A lethal scorer and a dead-eye shooter, Durant has been at the forefront of the NBA ever since he joined the league. The former two-time Finals MVP is making his long awaited return to the league this week. And if pre-season games are anything to go by, KD is back to being himself.
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 18, 2020; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) shoots the ball and gets fouled by Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Durant got injured in the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. The injury ruled him out for the entirety of the 2019-20 NBA season. In free agency, Durant left the Golden State Warriors, after spending three seasons with them and winning two NBA championships. He chose to sign with the Brooklyn Nets, alongside close friend Kyrie Irving.
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Durant spent the entirety of his first season with the Nets on the sidelines, while recovering from his Achilles injury. When the NBA returned in July after the four-month hiatus due to the pandemic, Durant chose not to return to the bubble. This was because he didn’t want to speed up his recovery and risk aggravating his injury.
Kevin Durant is ready to go
25 points, 3 blocks, six rebounds, 2 assists and a steal.
Kevin Durant looks like his old self, and it'd be fair to say he's only getting warmed up after 552 days off from NBA basketball.
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) December 19, 2020
But now, KD is fully healthy and raring to go. Durant has looked like his old self during the preseason games for the Nets. His first game back, Durant put up a solid dunk against the Washington Wizards as his first bucket in more than 500 days. In just 24 minutes, Durant put up 15 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.
In his second pre-season outings, Durant showed that he was holding nothing back this season. Within 27 minutes, Durant posted 25 points and 6 rebounds, showing that he can easily score whenever he wants to, and it is up to him how he wants to play this year. Upon seeing his performance, Twitter just blew up.
Man.. @BrooklynNets looking real out here.
— Jay Williams (@RealJayWilliams) December 19, 2020
I just watched Kevin Durant block his 3rd shot, dribble the ball up, pull up for an easy three. 25 points in 3 quarters. And I'm thinking, who on this planet is better than this man? Imagine how different the Bubble playoffs would've been if KD had been healthy. LeGone James.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) December 19, 2020
Playing basketball is so easy for KD… walking into 25 footers like layups 🤦🏾♂️
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) December 19, 2020
If Kevin Durant is anywhere close to 100 percent, the rest of the NBA should be terrified. https://t.co/zoT8BB1o0C
— Michael Grant (@MichaelGrant_CJ) December 19, 2020
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It remains to be seen how Durant approaches the following season. There are heavy expectations for both him and the Brooklyn Nets. Many analysts believe that if Durant is able to show he is fully recovered, then the Nets are going to be title contenders this season. However, an Achilles injury is one of the toughest to recover from, and very few are able to do so completely.
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