Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant will not return to the court this season as he continues to rehab from a torn Achilles tendon.
But the anticipation is building nonetheless. Durant has been making steady progress, with videos of his workouts surfacing on Twitter in recent weeks.
A devastating injury such as an Achilles tear brings plenty of skepticism with respect to a given player's future. But Durant's business partner and agent Rich Kleiman has no doubt Durant will immediately get back up to speed.
In fact, Kleiman suggested Durant will be even better in his comeback (via Ben Golliver of the Washington Post):
“I have no question he’ll be back better than ever,” Kleiman said. “By next season, I expect nothing but KD. Great things will happen. Injuries are a part of the game, and it’s obviously been a bit frustrating. The Nets are still in playoff position. The players are developing and getting better. I expect things to pick up. Everyone knows what [Durant and Kyrie Irving] can do when they’re playing and healthy.”
Durant seems to be progressing ahead of schedule, and he has been working incessantly on 1-on-1 drills to get back into basketball shape:
KD looking good right about now 👀
🎥: __devonte__ on IG pic.twitter.com/HdKnp46VY9
— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) February 9, 2020
However, Durant himself has repeatedly denied any notion he would return for a late-season push. A return seems less likely given fellow Nets star Kyrie Irving was ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Naturally, there is also a difference between the recovery process and actually playing in a game and absorbing contact. Still, Kleiman might not be reaching with his suggestion Durant could return better than ever.
Durant has one of the most lethal offensive games in the history of the NBA as a seven-footer that can handle the ball and shoot over smaller defenders. Those skills figure to transfer over, even if he loses a step or two due to the Achilles injury.
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