'Who knows?' Kevin Durant unsure if he'll be the same player after Achilles injury
It's taken him more than a year to do so, but Kevin Durant was finally able to put on his Brooklyn Nets gear and participate in the first day of the franchise's training camp earlier today. There's no telling how good Durant will be after going through the rehabilitation phase of the Achilles injury he suffered during last year's NBA Finals. For the time being though, he's just happy to be hooping.
"I feel good playing," Durant said while speaking to the media on Tuesday. "I am just taking it a day at a time." [H/T: ESPN]
Kevin Durant confident but not making any bold claims about himself yet
Bouncing back from an Achilles rupture isn't the easiest task and Kevin Durant is aware of the same. On being asked about how much of his pre-injury self he'll resemble once the season tips off, Durant noted:
"Who knows. I just got to see how I feel in a real NBA game."
At the same time, Kevin Durant exhibited confidence while stating that he's put in the needed effort and won't be limiting himself when on the court. He added:
"I've worked as hard as I could. I've been in the league 14 years; even if I didn't have an Achilles, I wouldn't be at 100 percent. It's just wear and tear over time. [But] I feel solid...Sometimes you tend to focus too much on not getting injured and you probably go out there and get injured. So, I try to go as hard as I can and live with the results."
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to lead Brooklyn Nets to glory?
There's no second-guessing as to what the Brooklyn Nets want to achieve this season. With both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant returning from a long spell on the sidelines, nothing less than a deep postseason run would suffice. And the expectations aren't unfair from an ownership perspective considering that the franchise is set to be over the luxury tax threshold in the next few years.
Things are easier said than done though. While the Nets will indeed be a better team this season, the usual suspects at the top of the Eastern Conference have also improved significantly in the offseason. The likes of Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers won't make it easy for Kevin Durant and co.
Also read: Predicting the Brooklyn Nets' Starting 5 for the 2020-21 NBA Season