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Warriors: Kevin Durant’s injury is “more serious” than first thought

By Nathan Beighle

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors grabs his ankle after injuring himself against the Houston Rockets during Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on May 08, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors grabs his ankle after injuring himself against the Houston Rockets during Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on May 08, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors’ superstar Kevin Durant may be out the entire Western Conference Finals with a mild right strained calf.

An injury sustained in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Kevin Durant has been making progress yet has not stepped on the court. He is expected to be re-examined in a week and has been ruled out for both Game 3 and 4.

Given the timeframe of his one week, it’s likely he’ll be about Game 5 as well. By then, the Western Conference Finals may be over. After a dominant victory in Game 1 and a 17-point comeback victory in Game 2, the Warriors have continued to prove that they’ll be fine without Durant.

However, they’re fine, for now. There’s no telling how this team may perform if the Warriors have to play a team like Milwaukee. In the Finals, the Warriors will need Durant’s defensive expertise and unique offensive playmaking.

That could even be up in the air given what head coach Steve Kerr said about the injury to Durant following their Game 2 victory.

Kerr said that Durant’s injury is “a little more serious than we thought.” He added that “he has made progress.”

These are both concerning and uplifting comments. Combine those with the fact that Durant’s not yet stepped foot on the court, and it seems, especially given the Dubs recent success, that they won’t be rushing him back anytime soon.

The league’s best postseason scorer, Durant was averaging over 38 points per game until he went down. The dominant and efficient 6-foot-10 forward carried the Warriors through the first round, taking the Clippers down in Game 6 with a 50-point performance.

Against their Eastern Conference foe, having Durant healthy will be of paramount importance. Either opponent will have a lengthy, defensive and offensive minded forward that could counter Durant’s.

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That said, if sitting out this series is what must be done, then it is what will be done, but regardless of who comes out of the East, the Warriors, as Klay Thompson has said, will need Durant to take third-straight NBA Championship.

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