Whether it’s Kenny Atkinson or any of the Brooklyn Nets players who have talked about Kevin Durant this season, they’ve all expressed how his presence alone is impactful. It lets everyone know what has yet to come, but remains part of the franchise’s future.
While his presence makes a difference for the Nets, there’s more to what Durant does these days as he has progressed with his right Achilles rehab. He’s catching the attention of his teammates with every move he makes, and Durant has impressed his head coach immensely, which Atkinson elaborated on with reporters at Nets practice on Tuesday.
“I think he attacks the rehab like he attacks his game,” Atkinson said, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “One of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen, that’s behind the scenes. The resiliency, the stick-with-it mentality when you’re going through a rehab like that is impressive.”
It’ll be a while before Durant’s discipline and diligence fully pays off. But everything the Nets have to say about the forward indicates it’ll all be worth the wait for Brooklyn fans.