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Golden State Warriors will need Kevin Durant in potential NBA Finals

By Tony Pesta

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after the Warriors scored a basket 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 reacts after the Warriors scored a basket 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 haven’t needed Kevin Durant yet, but they will if they advance to the NBA Finals.

Kevin Durant has been injured four three and a half games now, but the Golden State Warriors haven’t missed a beat. The Dubs have won four in a row and are leading the Portland Trail Blazers 2-0 in the series.

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but if the Warriors do finish off the Blazers and advance to the NBA Finals, they will need their leader back. KD’s absence hasn’t been felt too much yet. This is due to the heavy production of a few different players.

Andre Iguodala, in particular, has played big minutes. In the last four games, Iggy has played 33.1 minutes per game. This is a large load for a player in his 15th season. Even though he has played extremely well and has been one of the keys to winning this current series versus the Blazers, I am sure the Dubs would love to ease his workload.

This is why Durant will be needed in a potential NBA Finals series versus either the Toronto Raptors or Milwaukee Bucks. Both teams have superstar-caliber forwards that would need immediate attention on both ends of the floor.

This is where Durant would step in. His presence can neutralize the opponent and even sway the series towards the Warriors. In contrast, if Durant isn’t able to play in the series or is still being impacted by his injury, there will be a ton of pressure on Iggy to perform.

dark. Next. 3 Players shining in Durant's absence

Of course, this isn’t a horrible thing. Iggy has proven he can come up big in important moments and even won the 2015 Finals MVP award. However, the Warriors should not be banking their title hopes on the back of Iguodala. This could be Durant’s final season with the Dubs and he will be needed to seal the deal.

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