Kevin Durant suffered a left knee injury during the Golden State Warriors’ Tuesday night loss to the Washington Wizards. The worst was initially feared, but while he’s expected to miss some substantial time, the situation could be a lot worse.
As of now, per ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman, the Warriors expect Durant back in time for the postseason:
Kevin Durant expected back for the postseason, multiple sources told ESPN. “It’s not as bad as it looked,” one source said.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 1, 2017
The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski is basically hearing the same thing:
All in all, good news for Kevin Durant and Warriors, team says: Sprained MCL, bone bruise. He will be re-evaluated in a month.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 1, 2017
All in all, good news for Kevin Durant and Warriors, team says: Sprained MCL, bone bruise. He will be re-evaluated in a month.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 1, 2017
This is a huge deal for the Warriors. Both the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are nipping at their heels, and Durant’s absence would open the door for each of them to reach the NBA Finals if it extends through the playoffs. That he’s expected to return should preserve the Warriors’ favorite status.
Of course, Golden State is deep enough to soldier on without him. The team has what would be a top-three net rating when he sits, according to NBA.com. That’s the luxury of employing three other All-NBA talents in Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
But the Warriors will want to go into the playoffs at full strength. The road through the West won’t be easy minus a top-five NBA player, and another matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers looms in the NBA Finals (it seems). One way or another, for however long, we’re about to find out just how important Durant is to Golden State’s cause.
