I know everyone is asking that question and there is no other way to know than to see him play but we do know he'll never be the same again. I personally, see him losing much of the athleticism (particularly the agility) that made him such a unique talent at his height but I don't think it'll necessarily be the end-all/be-all of his impact on a game. He's still a 7ft giant that is a marksmen from deep, which offers it's own utility in this league.
The true Greats have all had to re-invent their games at some point in their career; this will be Durant's opportunity to do the same. Personally, I see him developing into a 5-man in the vein of what Chris Bosh was for the Heat. Durant was featured in lineups with the Warriors, where he was the rim protector and proved to be effective rotating to the weakside, so he should be serviceable on that end. I'm iffy about how his rebounding ability projects moving forward but he's managed to get about 8 a game primarily as a perimeter player, which is encouraging. Whatever the case, we'll have to get him a grittier 4-man to offset the fact that Durant will always be a little light in the shorts. With that being said, is Durant as a future 5 worth the investment? Or is his appeal tarnished if that is the case?
I think in 2 yrs it will be hard to see any major impacts to his game, in relation to his Achilles injury. But you will see a slow change in KD due to age....Fsther time is still undefeated.
Everybody is different so it's a waste of time predicting what KD will look like post surgery. My gut feeling is he will still be a top 5 scorer in theNBA, ,He has too many offensive tools in his bag. And speaking from experience, if hes mentally strong his body will snap back like a rubber band.
the days of KD being a top 10 player in the league are done.
He is most likely two years out from being the player he will be post injury. At that point his game will have diminished some just from aging. He might make two all star games but I don’t think he can be the same player.
Id be worried about other injuries developing. The start of Durant's decline. Would maybe want the Knicks to take a chance on Durant one contract ago. In his mid to late 20s, not his early 30s.
Dominique returned from an Achilles and averaged 29 per...true, he wasnt the same above the rim athlete that he was pre injury, but he was still elite, relying on mid range and slashing some.
Durant ain't losing that jumper nor his legnth... another thing to consider, most players who suffered this injury weren't star players and the ones who were (Kobe and Isiah) were at the end of there careers. KD was putting up career numbers against the Clips and Rockets before he went down. My bet is he is still a top ten player when returns.
