Kevin Durant Returns to Lineup for First Time Since Foot Injury

Kevin Durant couldn't make his season debut alongside the returning Russell Westbrook on Friday. Odds are the Oklahoma City Thunder are just fine with that debut coming Tuesday.

The reigning NBA MVP is in the lineup for the Thunder's game against the New Orleans Pelicans, marking his first on-court action since fracturing his foot in October. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported the news:

Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman reported on Durant's usage in his return:

Durant also commented on his time away from the court, via Royce Young of ESPN.com:

Initially ruled out for six to eight weeks, Durant is coming back near the end of that expected time frame. He returned to practice last week, though the team has been firm about not rushing him back to the floor. 

Durant has missed the Thunder's first 17 games, a period of turmoil that's put them in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Though Westbrook was expected to pick up the pieces with Durant on the shelf, Oklahoma City lost him, too, just a pair of games into the season with a broken hand.

The All-Star guard missed 14 games, a period in which the Thunder went 4-10. His return on Friday against the Knicks helped Oklahoma City start its first multigame winning streak of the season. 

"Russell has a great passion for the game, and he's been a tremendous leader for us," Thunder head coach Scott Brooks told reporters, per Young. "He understands what he brings to the team. He brings a toughness, an emotional part that it takes for our team to be successful. And he's obviously one of the best players in the league, so we're all excited to have him back."

Struggling on both ends without Durant and Westbrook, the Thunder have a 5-12 record that has them behind in the Western Conference playoff race. With a win total in the upper 40s seen as a bare minimum for playoff contention out West, Oklahoma City's stars will have to be firing on all cylinders from the start to keep their chances alive.

The Thunder went 59-23 with Westbrook missing nearly half of last season. Generously assuming a similar winning percentage (.720) the rest of the way, Oklahoma City should be fine; it'd finish right above the 50-win threshold, a more than good enough total even in the Western gauntlet.

Durant's relatively quick recovery and some internal growth should give the Thunder hope going forward. Reggie Jackson has emerged as a two-way leader out of necessity, and Serge Ibaka has added some more creativity to his game. Toss in critical minutes for the likes of Jeremy Lamb and Anthony Morrow, and the insertion of Steven Adams into the starting lineup, and this Thunder team is better on paper than its predecessor.

Jim Cowsert/Associated Press

Oklahoma City's direction comes down to how quickly Durant can get back to playing MVP-caliber basketball.

Long the second in command to LeBron James in the NBA hierarchy, Durant stole the throne last season. He averaged 32 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game on a ridiculously efficient .635 true shooting percentage. Given his development into a solid all-around defender and continued growth as a ball-handler and passer, Durant should return to form if he stays healthy.

Foot injuries are notoriously fickle, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Thunder give Durant a couple nights off on back-to-backs as he works his way into the fold. Either way, some Kevin Durant is far superior to the none OKC has had all season.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.