Golden State Warriors: Alfonzo McKinnie’s return has ‘taken longer than expected’
The Golden State Warriors have missed breakout second unit forward Alfonzo McKinnie, and per Steve Kerr, he may not be back for quite some time.
Nearing a month without Alfonzo McKinnie, the Golden State Warriors have severely missed their most productive second unit player. On a team where second unit scoring is hard to come by, McKinnie absence has been less than ideal.
It may stay that way for quite some time as well. According to NBC Sports, head coach Steve Kerr said that his recovering is progressing but not at the pace many expected.
"“He had an MRI on the road (in) Houston,” Kerr said. “That MRI, like some MRIs, wasn’t exactly accurate. You have to go on symptoms. You can’t just base everything on imaging. His symptoms unfortunately have lingered, and so he’s taken longer than expected to heal."
There is truth in Kerr’s statement. If a player has imaging that might come out fine, assuming McKinnie’s imaging wasn’t showing any structural damage, yet still have those lingering symptoms, there’s not much that the team can do but continue to rest and rehab the player.
That’s the reality for McKinnie this season. It’s sad to see since this has been McKinnie only real shot at an NBA career. However, the good part is that, prior to this injury, McKinnie displayed exceptional talent, showing he belongs in the association.
Averaging over 6.3 points per game and shooting over 50% from the field, McKinnie, who was fighting for a spot on the team during training camp, has far exceeded the team’s expectations. He even notched a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double earlier this season.
Add in 48.4% from deep, and it obvious McKinnie is a right fit for the Warriors.
However, he needs to play to continue to get the love of the fans. Being out since Nov. 15, McKinnie’s left foot soreness has apparently been slowly progressing. The one ideal work is progressing.
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McKinnie story, although still young, has been a truly inspirational one. Bouncing around G-League and summer league teams, McKinnie was looking for his place in the NBA. He found it, and hopefully the forward can return to action sooner rather than later to continue his cinderella story.