Former Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant, who was sorely missed during the 2014-15 NBA season because of an injury, is expected to enter the 2015-16 NBA season 100% healthy.
While Durant is still undergoing rehabilitation, he is expected to be given a clean bill of health by next month. Durant found it tough to make any decent comeback, having to undergo surgery for his foot more than once, in October and in March, to repair a Jones fracture.
At present, Durant is entering phase 3 of his rehabilitation, where he is mainly limited to taking jump shots. He is still forbidden from doing any running or cutting.
Durant did appear in a few games, 27 to be exact. And apparently that made it tough for the team to advance to the playoffs. But with Durant back in harness, the chances of the Thunder may become better. But before thinking forward, one thing that Durant wants to address is his weight.
Looking a bit bigger than his usual slim physique, Durant is looking to trim down. He has been hitting the weight room but hasn't done much movement in the last 12 to 13 weeks.
"I think I gotta lose some weight, to be honest," he said. "But I've been putting in a lot of work in the weight room. I haven't moved at all for 12 or 13 weeks, so last week was really the first time I got on the court and dropped some sweat.
If everything goes on as scheduled, Durant will most likely add some running after August to try and get himself back into game shape before the coming NBA season opener.
It will be interesting to see as well how Durant can get along with the new Thunder head coach Billy Donovan, who has replaced Scott Brooks at the helm.
Apparently, one of Donovan's duties heading into the coming season is to try and spend some time with the players. And it seems that the former Florida Gators coach is doing that after reportedly spending time with Durant, Dion Waiters and Anthony Morrow.
''I think the one thing that has helped being in Oklahoma City (since) the beginning of May, I've had a chance to spend enough time with all those guys, which has been great,'' Donovan said on Fox Sports. ''I think it's great for the guys that are playing from a support standpoint ...That's been very positive.''
