Kevin Durant, last year’s NBA rookie of the year, is off to another fast start despite playing on a Thunder team that has lost seven of its first eight games. A slender 6-9 with incredible range, Durant is averaging a team-high 22 points. He spoke with Sporting News Today’s Bill Eichenberger before Friday’s game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden about the Thunder’s transition from Seattle to Oklahoma City and the strides he has made.

Q: How goes the move?

A: Pretty good, actually. I’m loving Oklahoma City. I was just telling that to my teammates last night at dinner. It’s a great town. It’s quiet, the people are nice, the fans are unbelievable, and that’s what we need as a team. It goes a long way with us that the fans are there every day, whether we are winning or losing. I’m glad we made the move.

Q: How was your offseason? What parts of your game did you concentrate on?

A: I continued to work on my post game and my defense, guarding guys like Jeff Green, T.J. Ford and D.J. Augustin every day.

Q: Were you surprised when you first came into the league with the strength and power of the players?

A: I knew it was going to be just like that. These are grown men.

Q: Did you work on getting stronger in the offseason?

A: Of course. That’s a big point of emphasis for me.

Q: Coach P.J. Carlesimo likes to talk about what kind of player you will be when you grow into that lanky frame of yours, when you get at least some of the size and strength of someone like LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony. What kind of player do you want to be five years from now?

A: I want to be that kind of player right now. But I don’t think I will ever get as big as a LeBron or Carmelo.

Q: Do you see yourself eventually becoming more of a low-post player?

A: That’s what I envision myself being once I get bigger and fill out a little more. We played against Rashard Lewis the other day, and he plays the four now after playing the three early in his career. I would like to do that, and I think I would help the team a lot by playing the four. But right now I like the position I’m at, playing the two and three.

Q: What was it like playing for the U.S. Select team against the U.S. Olympic team this summer?

A: It made me a lot better. Every day they really got after it. … I learned that I can play better defense and that I could play some four down the line. P.J. was our coach, and he just wanted me to do specific things to help them out, as far as getting them ready to play teams in the Olympics.

Q: Is being on the U.S. team in 2012 a goal of yours?

A: After watching them win a gold this summer, I told myself that was a goal I wanted to get to. If I continue to work and get better, hopefully they will take notice and I will be on that team.