2019 NBA Title Odds: Warriors' Line Drops After Kevin Durant's Injury
While they remain the title favorites, oddsmakers are doubting the Golden State Warriors a little more in the wake of Kevin Durant's injury in the second round of the 2019 NBA playoffs.
ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Durant has a mild right calf strain and will be re-evaluated in a week. As a result, he's out for the remainder of the Western Conference Finals.
According to the Caesars sportsbook, the Warriors are now +120 (bet $100 to win $120) to win their third straight NBA Finals. They were -130 heading into Game 5.
In the third quarter against the Houston Rockets, Durant suffered a non-contact injury to his right leg. The team announced the initial diagnosis was a right calf strain.
Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported Durant would undergo an MRI on Thursday to determine the full extent of his injury. The Athletic's Tim Kawakami spoke with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who didn't waste time ruling Durant out for the team's next game.
"He's not going to play Game 6," Kerr said. "We can all pretend and just say he's doubtful. But he's not playing Game 6."
That oddsmakers still favor the Warriors despite the questions over Durant's health is a testament to their overall strength. Only Golden State could lose one of the NBA's best players and remain the top championship threat.
One silver lining of Durant's injury is that the Warriors may return to the more egalitarian offensive style that turned them into a budding dynasty before the 10-time All-Star arrived.
According to Basketball Reference, Durant has a 32.8 percent usage rate this postseason. Stephen Curry (26.0 percent) is second on the team in usage rate. Those positions were reversed in the regular season as Curry's 30.4 percent usage rate led the team and Durant came in second at 29.0 percent.
Without the safety valve Durant has provided as a scorer, the trio of Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will all have to pick up the slack. Nobody should bet against those three once again leading the Warriors a title.
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