NBA: Off-season weakness each star should have worked on

1. Kevin Durant, F, Brooklyn Nets – Lower body strength

Kevin Durant didn’t win the title, but he otherwise owned the summer in basketball. He was incredible in the playoffs, the best player in their second-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. With just half of his two co-stars available he forced overtime in Game 7 with simply incredible shotmaking. He then headed out to Tokyo for the Summer Olympics, leading Team USA to the gold medal.

There aren’t many options here for one of, if not the best, player in the world. He is an elite shooter, a good passer, a solid rebounder and a gifted defender. The one area that has always bothered Durant, however, is his complete lack of lower body strength.

Lack is the wrong term, but Durant is undoubtedly light in the shorts and the strongest of defenders can push him off of his spots and make it difficult to get the ball and create an advantageous look. Tony Allen used to be the guy to exploit this; PJ Tucker was the guy in these past playoffs.

The Nets need Durant to play at the 4 as often as possible to maximize the roster around him. Improving his lower body strength will help him hold up defensively there, and on offense overcome the handful of brutally strong defenders who can slow him down. Then the Slim Reaper would cement his rise onto the throne of best player in the world, and potentially win another title in the process.

Kevin Durant leads the way for the Top 30 players in the NBA this season. No player is perfect, and all have a weakness that they could have worked on over the offseason. Did they? We will have to find out as the season begins.