Nets give Durant ‘smooth ride’ back
NEW YORK • Kevin Durant says the quality of his Brooklyn Nets teammates promises him a “smooth ride” in his long-awaited return from an 18-month National Basketball Association (NBA) absence because of a torn Achilles tendon.
The return of one of the league’s most formidable scoring threats – the 2014 Most Valuable Player (MVP) and two-time NBA Finals MVP with the Golden State Warriors – has sparked excitement among fans and pundits curious as to how he will mesh with teammate and fellow All-Star Kyrie Irving.
They will not have to wait long for a first look, with the Nets hosting the Warriors in the first game of the season today.
Durant insists facing his former team will be no grudge match, calling it “just a regular game”.
In this year’s abbreviated pre-season, the forward has offered tantalising glimpses of his old form.
But Durant said, after a 25-point performance in a pre-season victory over the Boston Celtics over the weekend, that he has room for improvement as he is still feeling his way back.
“I was out for 18 months not playing an NBA game, not playing against that physicality, the speed of the game,” he added. “So it’s going to take me some time to get my feet up under me, get my legs right.
“Having a team like we have, those guys support me every time I step on the floor, try to put me in great positions to be successful, and we’re just playing off of each other. So if we continue to do that, this will be a smooth ride for me as I get back into the swing of things.”
Last season was a difficult one for the Nets, even though they reached the play-offs for the second straight year.
Not only did Durant sit out the entire season but a shoulder injury also ruled Irving out for the second half of the campaign.
On paper, they can field one of the more talented teams in the East. The Nets have elite shooting in Landry Shamet and Joe Harris; rebounding and shot-blocking in DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen; quality playmakers in Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie; and bench spark plugs like Jeff Green and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to call on.
But Nets coach Steve Nash, a two-time MVP embarking on his rookie coaching year, knows keeping his star duo of Durant and Irving fit will be his biggest task.
“There’s been such a layoff for both of them,” he said.
“In particular, Kevin coming off one of the toughest injuries to deal with as a basketball player. We have to be careful with him and his adaptation process back into the game.”
The Warriors – who finished last season with the league’s worst record following five straight NBA Finals appearances and three titles – will aim to be back in the post-season.
While they bulked up their front court with centre James Wiseman, the second pick in this year’s draft, Golden State will have to challenge without Klay Thompson.
The All-Star guard, who sat out last season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament, will miss yet another year after tearing his Achilles tendon in pre-season.
Still coach Steve Kerr believes Durant’s recovery will give hope to his former teammate, saying on Sirius XM radio on Monday: “It’s great to just see him healthy and playing again and enjoying the game.
“For Klay, it’s just devastating. We are all just feeling really, really sad for Klay but it will inspire him, I’m sure, to see Kevin back out there healthy again.”
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, NYTIMES