Getty Kevin Durant and Steve Kerr share a laugh during a preseason game.
Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr is no stranger to Nets All-Star Forward Kevin Durant. Kerr coached against KD in the 2016 Western Conference Finals against the Thunder and coached him during Durant’s three-year stint in Golden State. Kerr, a student of the game has been watching Durant during the preseason, and from what he’s seen, Durant is back.
Steve Kerr Thinks Durant Looks 100 Percent
“I saw the Boston game the other night which was kind of scary for the rest of the league,” said Kerr. “I couldn’t tell one difference between seeing him 18 months ago to seeing him the other night.” Kerr coached Durant on back to back championship squads in 2017 and 2018. Durant won finals MVP honors both years.
Steve Nash Thinks Durant’s Health Is ‘In The 90’s’
Despite Durant impressing his former coach with his play in the preseason, his current coach Steve Nash knows that he’s not 100 percent yet and that it could be a while before he is fully healthy. This is tough for me to put a number on. But he’s in the 90s, for sure. Whether it’s 90 or 99, I don’t know,” Nash said about Durant on a Zoom call with reporters. “But I keep trying to tell him that he’s got to give himself 15, 20 games before he starts judging himself. Sometimes, they say the amount of time you have off takes you that much time once you’re back to feel like yourself.”
Durant Knows Everything Is A Process
As for Durant, he knows everything is a slow grind and is taking everything one day at a time. “I’ve always been comfortable with a basketball in my hand,” said Durant. “But, physically, not being able to run up and down a court, it’s going to take me more than two or three games to feel like, ‘Yeah, I’m in the swing of things, feel like I’m in midseason form physically.’
The last time we saw Durant on the floor during the NBA season was for Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, where he tore his Achilles. When he’ll be back to 100 percent remains to be seen. One thing we can all agree on; it will be great to see Durant back on the floor.
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Steve Kerr on Kevin Durant’s Return: ‘Scary for the Rest of the League’