The workouts are still voluntary, Thunder Training Camp doesn’t begin until Friday, but more and more players are showing up back here in Oklahoma City anxious for that to change.
“I’m ready to get back to work,” Thunder forward Kevin Durant told reporters, “I had a fun summer, but I’m ready to get going.”
Durant expects the INTEGRIS Health Thunder Development Center to be crowded with most of his teammates tomorrow.
“Most of the guys will get here on Tuesday,” he predicted. “I’ve been in town for about a month and a half waiting for the call to get back to work.”
Until training camp begins and coaches can actively be involved in working with the players, K.D. and his Thunder teammates will spend their time like they did for much of the summer, “conditioning and getting ready for the first day of camp.”
Thunder rookie Reggie Jackson, who technically can’t become a member of the team until Friday, joined Durant Monday on the new practice courts. Thunder big men Nick Collison and Cole Aldrich have also now been in the new facility after spending much of the summer working out at their old college home, the University of Kansas.
“It was good to spend a lot of time at KU, I thought it would be a good place for me to work out,” Collison said. “Cole’s really become a pro when it comes to getting his work done and it was good to have another guy to workout with.”
Aldrich, like Collison and Durant, is awed by the new practice facility furnished by Oklahoma City taxpayers.
“This place is unreal. It’s got everything you’d want as an athlete, it’s got everything you’d want to make you get better.”
Even though the Thunder made an extended run in the playoffs last season, everyone realizes getting better is the mission. Training Camp will be shorter this season than usual so time is of the essence.
“Everybody’s in the same boat,” Collison pointed out. “But I know we’ll take advantage of the time we have. Talent-wise I think we can compete with most of the teams in this league we just need to come in from day one and be willing to work hard every day in practice. We need to share the ball better on offense and our consistency on the defensive end needs to be better.”
Durant echoed Collison’s statements.
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