Kevin Durant provided a medical update during the Nets‘ broadcast Wednesday night on the YES Network, relays Peter Botte of The New York Post. Durant said he continues to make progress in his recovery from Achilles surgery and confirmed that he recently started playing three-on-three games with teammates.
“I feel all right. It’s been fun, playing three-on-three with the guys every day,” Durant said. “I miss the routine. I’ve missed getting up every day and being one of the guys, going to practice, going to shootarounds. It’s been difficult, being away from the scene. But I’m about nine months out (from surgery), so I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.”
There’s more NBA news from New York City:
- Because of injuries to Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson still doesn’t know if they can form an effective backcourt rotation with Spencer Dinwiddie, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Irving will miss the rest of the season after shoulder surgery and played just 20 games in his first year in Brooklyn. LeVert was injured early in the season and has been available for only 36 games. “That would be the piece we still have to figure out,” Atkinson said. “You have a lot of ball dominant guards. That being said, Caris and Spencer, with D’Angelo [Russell], they played a lot without the ball. I think D’Angelo’s usage rate was higher than Kyrie’s. We can definitely do it.”
- Four fans tell Marc Berman of The New York Post they were ejected from Madison Square Garden after starting a “sell the team” chant directed at owner James Dolan late in Wednesday’s loss to Utah. The Knicks are denying the claim, stating that no one was ejected or escorted out of the building. Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press notes that years of losing may be catching up with the organization as last night’s crowd was the smallest since 2006 and overall attendance is likely to drop for the fourth straight season.
- Jazz star Donovan Mitchell believes hiring Leon Rose as president of basketball operations will help turn the Knicks around, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. A CAA client, Mitchell talked about Rose when he was asked about the team’s dispute with Spike Lee. “I think with Leon — who I know personally — things are going to trend upward. I love Leon to death,” Mitchell said. “He’s a great dude, great person and a really good businessman. So I think they’re going to start going in the right direction when he gets in there.”
Jonny Flynn is available
Why bring up Mitchell during a Knicks posting. The writer must love to rub in the Knicks faces about another player Knicks passed on in the draft.
The “can’t play multiple ballhandlers together” narrative is so overplayed. If they’re good/willing passers then the ball is gonna get moved around, and if they’re not good playmakers they shouldn’t have the ball in their hands that much to begin with
A good coach should be able to utilize whatever players he has. Totally agree.
Wait…didn’t LeVert go for 51 a couple nights ago? Why is this even a talking point as of today with that happening?
Two always Injured guards being kept over the single consistently healthy one..
I think what Atkinson is referring to is firstly, whether any of the guards are on the trading block… for a Dins fan that was reassuring.
Also, and kind of the point with Dins, is whether he can use his blending skills. Because basically, under these circumstances, he can’t.
I’m wondering what Irving’s opinion really is, since he’s not that trustworthy.