Steve Kerr: Kevin Durant Must Practice Before Playing in NBA Finals After Injury
If Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant is going to return to action in Game 2 against the Toronto Raptors in this year's NBA Finals, he'll need to start practicing soon.
According to head coach Steve Kerr, Durant won't see game time until he's able to practice fully:
Durant has already been ruled out for Game 1 on Thursday night, while DeMarcus Cousins is questionable for the contest. Durant did travel with the team to Toronto, however, a sign that a Game 2 return is still possible.
Kerr said Monday that Durant has yet to get in any on-court work with his teammates as he recovers from the calf strain he suffered in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Houston Rockets.
"Not with the team," he said, per Matt Eppers of USA Today. "If he did anything on the court, it would've been pretty light. I know he's been out kinda shooting some shots, but I haven't talked to [director of sports medicine and performance] Rick [Celebrini] today, so I'm not exactly sure what he's done today."
Durant, 30, has been downright dominant when healthy in these playoffs, averaging 34.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.2 steals and one block per contest.
Without him, the Warriors have still managed to go 5-0, sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals, but the lockdown defense of the Toronto Raptors—alongside the otherworldly play of Kawhi Leonard this postseason—represents a bigger challenge for the Warriors, especially if Durant remains sidelined for a chunk of the series.
The Warriors aren't better without Durant. But they may just have to survive without him for the first two games in Toronto unless he's able to resume full practices soon.
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