The one knock against Kevin Durant when he entered the league was that he was so skinny. There was a report from pre-draft camps that he couldn’t even bench press 185 pounds. Durant has already proven that he doesn’t need bulk to succeed in the NBA, but imagine what will happen to his game now that he has put on some weight.
Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman reported during the week that Durant looks bigger from his lower body to upper body. Durant indicated to Mayberry that that was what he intended.
“I hope so,” Durant said when told he looks bigger and asked if he got stronger over the offseason. “I guess we’ll know when we start banging during the season. But I feel a little bigger, and coach is going to put me down low a little bit more at the 4, so I’ve got to be stronger to guard those guys. I’m just looking forward to doing as much as I can to help this team.”
Durant attributes his weight gain to getting older. He thinks natural changes in his body are allowing him to maintain weight rather than lose it the way he used to.
I think this is a good sign for Thunder fans. Durant was already a versatile player, so maybe this was all he needed in order to expand his game. It should also help Oklahoma City if he’s able to play the four effectively; imagine how well he’ll be able to exploit match-ups against other fours.
Chest bump to Pro Basketball Talk
