The Golden State Warriors need Kevin Durant to return, not for his formidable offensive repertoire, but in order to defend Pascal Siakam.
Siakam torched the Golden State Warriors in Game 1. The narrative was if you stop Kawhi Leonard, you stop the Raptors. They proved that’s just not the case. That said, Kevin Durant’s return is crucial for the remainder of the series.
One small yet potentially significant aspect of the Finals is that after each game the teams get two full days of rest.
The Warriors played Thursday night and won’t play again until Sunday night. While it doesn’t seem impactful, for the injured Warriors, it is, especially given the recent injury to Iguodala which the severity of in unknown
Kevin Durant, who sustained a mild calf injury in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals, is nursing an injury that takes weeks to heal. It’s been weeks, and the forward should be set to return in Game 3 after his potential Game 2 return was said to be “doubtful.”
They’ll need Durant. He’s a gifted scorer and a lengthy defender.
That’s what gave Golden State issues. Toronto length on both ends of the court hurt the Dubs, mainly due to Siakam’s seemingly unstoppable drive. We was just longer and more agile than numerous Warrior defenders.
Siakam ended the game with 32 points on 14-for-17 from the field.
With the best single-game percentage of any player with over 15 attempts against the Warriors, Siakam proved difficult to contain, and while many were seemingly uncontrolled layups, they could’ve been defended even better.
A world-class defender, Durant had arguably the best defensive season of his career last year and has continued that stellar play throughout this season. Even in the playoff, he was taking defensive assignments personally, oftentimes guarding Harden in the clutch.
Now, he’ll need to come back to stop an unlikely hero in Siakam.
With a 7-foot-3 wingspan, his lengthy arms allow him to get the ball in places where even elite defenders like Draymond Green can’t reach. Well, Durant’s a different beast with his 7-foot-4.5 wingspan.
The Warriors did a great job limiting Leonard and rotating after the first quarter. But, after getting down a few buckets, it was Siakam who made the timely shots to limit the Warrior runs. 17 shots and just 2 free throw attempts, the Warriors played clean defense on the third-year pro.
However, he just put in the game of his life, and it’ll be Kevin Durant who would’ve normally been tasked with shutting him down. Not having that option could be detrimental for Golden State.