Kevin Durant is back!

Photo Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

News has gotten out today that Kevin Durant has fully healed from his bone graft surgery and he is ready to take the court when training camp begins. The league saw a lot of break out players last season including Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, James Harden, and Durant's teammate Russell Westbrook. All these young guys were in the hunt for the MVP and most even beat out LeBron James for votes. A name missing from the list of candidates this past season was Kevin Durant.

Photo Credit: nicekick.com

For those who don't know Durant had a Jones fracture in his right foot before the start of last season. The fracture was only causing Durant minor pain in his foot, but luckily he brought it to training staffs attention and the fracture was found early enough that it hadn't really been a problem yet. Durant opted for surgery on his foot and would return in early December. Durant played well but suffered multiple injuries to his foot and ankle during this stretch of play. All those injuries were minor and separate from his previous injury. Eventually by the end of February Durant complained of discomfort in his right foot. The discomfort was caused by a screw rubbing against his bone. He had the screw removed and was set to come back in a few weeks. He still had slight pain in the foot and after seeing three foot specialist he opted to have bone graft surgery. This surgery would allow him to ease the pressure on the spot where he had the fracture and decrease the chances of him re injuring his foot. Durant took the safe route and looked ahead to the upcoming seasons. This was smart on his part because foot injuries are not something to joke about. The foot supports the entire body and for someone 6'10" and plays like a guard it is a good idea to play it safe.

For Durant he never missed a beat last season when he did return. In the 27 games he played between Early December and late February he averaged 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists. The video above, courtesy of FreeDawkins, is highlights Durant's 2014-2015 season. He didn't play hesitant at all and looked like he was at his best. In part 2 of his 2014-15 highlights its more of the same. 

Photo Creadit: Howard Smith/US PRESSWIRE

I'm excited for Durant to be back. He won the MVP in 2013-2014 and looked to be poised for much more. If the Thunder stay healthy this season they will be the team to beat. And everyone needs to stop asking if Durant is the best player on this team or if Russell Westbrook will take the reins. Just go back and watch any Kevin Durant highlight video. Durant is clearly the best player on this team and possibly in the entire league. And in some highlights I saw Westbrook give up a shot he had in order to get Durant a look. I think Westbrook knows how good this team could be if he plays within the teams system. And Westbrook can clearly pass considering how many triple doubles he had last season. And think about this. Westbrook couldn't get the Thunder into the playoffs last year without Durant. Clearly Westbrook needs him and Durant needs Westbrook in order to win it all.