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Medical experts told the Post that Kevin Durant should fully recover from Achilles surgery and be as good as ever. Now players who have seen the Nets star in action, up close, are saying the same thing.
Los Angeles is nearly 3,000 miles from Brooklyn, but it’s where many NBA players – including more than half a dozen Nets – have come from afar to train at Sports Academy. And reports from the gym indicate Durant was just plain dominant.
Kyrie Irving, Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, Taurean Prince and Jaylen Hands have all played with Durant at times, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Hami Diallo, Sekou Doumbouya, Ty Jerome and Frank Ntilikina of the Knicks are part of the other NBAs. names who joined him. John Wall and even retired Gilbert Arenas took to the plane and gushed about Durant’s form on “The No Chill Podcast”.
“For me, I play in Miami, it’s cool; but playing against Kevin Durant and Kyrie, if I do that, then okay, bet I’m fine. We can start the season, ”said Wall, who, like Durant, is recovering from an injury that cost him the entire 2019-20 season. “Miami is cool, but you play against them both …”
Those two being Durant and Irving, the first sidelined since June 2019 with a ruptured right Achilles and the latter limited to just 20 games last season before undergoing shoulder surgery. Apparently the two are back to play well.
“In season, [Durant] will come out attacking. He’ll hit you first. That’s what he learned: hit yourself first, then recompose it and hit again, then recompose it and go, ”Arenas said.
“So there, when I see him, that’s all I’m waiting for because you have to remember that he has an injury too.” The state of mind is therefore the most important. How will he start the game? Tell me where it is at this point.
Where Durant was draining his first five shots in that pickup match, all on hesitant pull-ups. From there, Wall and Arenas could tell he was back.
“KD started the game 5v5. Out of those five shots, what were they? Hesi left[tation]. He puts them to sleep just to sleep, ”Wall said.
“I just left hesi’s pull-up: Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And then, once he’s done with that, he goes back to his usual business, ”Arenas added.
For Durant, the proposed season opener on December 22 will mark 561 days since breaking his Achilles, so it’s not too shocking that he’s in good health. But the fact that he looks not only confident but aggressive against NBA competition bodes well for the Nets.
“As soon as he comes out, he shoots first [five] hits, goes 5 for 5.… As soon as it goes down, pop, pop. Let’s go, [he’s] very good, ”says Arenas. “So the two boys [Durant and Wall] are back. That’s all you’re trying to make sure: you’re mentally back. You did the physical part: now that’s it [mental] gone, making sure all those doors [are] unlocked so when the season arrives you have an open game.
“That’s basically where it is, making sure the game is open, making sure the thinking process is clear – you don’t question your rider, you don’t question your conduct, you don’t question your creativity. [We’ve] seen, get off, quick break behind the back. OK, here we go.
The Clippers hired longtime New York executive Alex Diaz as COO to oversee plans for their new Inglewood arena project. He had been vice president and general manager of Madison Square Garden and had played an important role at Barclays Center.
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