New York Post

KD: Bad timing for Knicks

- By MARC BERMAN

SAN ANTONIO — The Knicks weren’t on Kevin Durant’s timetable.

In his first real explanatio­n of why he chose Brooklyn over the Knicks, Durant said the more veteran roster of the Nets was a key.

Durant made his remarks on a YouTube show hosted by former Thunder teammate Serge Ibaka. In the past, Durant said he didn’t give the Knicks more than a second’s thought.

“I just liked the organizati­on as far as the direction they were going in — a bunch of young guys that played in the playoffs before,” Durant said of the Nets. “The Knicks players, they’re good young players, but they still need more experience to match where I was in my career. It was nothing major against the Knicks. I just think Brooklyn is further along in the process of being a contender.”

Durant may miss the season with a torn Achilles tendon and will be 32 when the 2020-21 campaign starts as he rebounds from one of the NBA’s toughest injuries from which to recover. Jalen Rose told The Post in late August he thought Durant would have chosen the Knicks if not for his catastroph­ic injury during the NBA Finals with the Warriors.

Rose told reporters Saturday he believes Kyrie Irving became the catalyst for the destinatio­n once Durant went down. Irving had his heart set on the Nets, his childhood team.

“The standard of what the point guard set is what leads the team,” Durant said. “I’m just excited to play alongside him and see where we go.”

The Knicks, who have yet to decide on a starting point guard and are coming off a 17-65 season, visit the Nets on Friday in Brooklyn.

“It’s on the East Coast, close to home, the Nets are solid, live in New York,” Durant added. “I can pick up my game anywhere.”

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States