In breaking news, the Thunder have announced that the reigning MVP, Kevin Durant, will undergo season-ending foot surgery. Durant will not resume basketball activities until after 4-6 months, which figures to be around August or September.
Kevin Durant Out For Rest of Season
In Durant’s first seven NBA seasons, he missed just 16 total games, an astonishingly low number. By the time the season ends, Durant will have missed 55 games in the 2014-15 season alone. To say the very least, it’s extremely surprising that Durant has had so many issues staying healthy this season considering his impressive track record avoiding injuries.
With the acquisition of Enes Kanter and the dominance of Russell Westbrook, the Thunder have actually played better since Durant began his most recent stint on the sidelines. In fact, they have the third best record in the NBA since the All-Star break. Even though Westbrook has kept Oklahoma City a few steps ahead of New Orleans and Phoenix for the eighth playoff spot in the West, the Thunder’s outlook for the rest of the season seems to be gloomy at best.
The Thunder are undoubtedly better when the four-time NBA scoring champion laces up his sneakers to take the floor, which unfortunately won’t happen again until next season at the earliest. Assuming the Thunder cling on to the final spot in the playoffs, a first round playoff matchup against the top-seeded Golden State Warriors looms. A seven game series against the Warriors would have been a tough one for Scott Brooks’ team even with Durant healthy, so the odds of a Durant-less Thunder team overtaking Stephen Curry and the Warriors seems highly unlikely. Considering their attitude has been “championship or bust” the past few seasons, this season figures to be a lost cause for the Thunder.
With Kevin Durant’s impending free agency approaching in the summer of 2016, the days of #35 wearing a Thunder jersey may be nearing an end. Will Durant go home to play for the Wizards in our nation’s capitol? Will he chase the celebrity lifestyle and fame that comes along with playing for the Lakers or Knicks? Speculation regarding Durant’s potential suitors in free agency certainly will rise over the next 15 months.
Regardless of where Durant ends up in the future, it’s unfortunate that NBA fans across the country haven’t had the luxury of watching such a special player play in one of his “prime” seasons. May we all wish Durant a speedy recovery and a smooth return to stardom in the NBA.
