Warriors Rumors: GS Worried About Beating Bucks, Raptors Without Kevin Durant
Prior to the start of the 2019 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors reportedly had concerns about whether they could beat the Toronto Raptors or Milwaukee Bucks without Kevin Durant.
According to ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne, the Warriors felt they needed Durant as a "failsafe on offense" and also needed his length and athleticism on defense for potential matchups with Kawhi Leonard or Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Leonard and the Raptors beat Giannis and the Bucks to advance to the NBA Finals, and they took a 1-0 lead over Golden State with a 118-109 win in Game 1 on Thursday.
Durant has missed the past six games with a calf injury, and he is not expected to practice before Sunday's Game 2, meaning he is likely to miss his seventh consecutive contest.
Prior to Game 1 against Toronto, the Warriors were 5-0 in these playoffs without Durant. That included eliminating the Houston Rockets in the second round with a Game 6 win and sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals.
That led to some discussion about whether Golden State was actually better without Durant, but KD took exception with that narrative, per ESPN.com's Nick Friedell:
"It's been that way since I got here. It's been that way since I got here—'It's the Warriors and KD.' I understand that, and I felt like my teammates and the organization know exactly what I've done here off and on the court to become a part of this culture, stamp my flag in this culture and this organization. ... I know what I bring to the team, but I also know a lot of people on the outside don't like to see us together, and I get it."
Warriors forward Draymond Green also chimed in on the subject, calling it "idiotic" to think that the team is better without Durant.
Although Golden State is just 7-4 with KD in the lineup during these playoffs, he has put up big numbers to the tune of 34.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
Durant is also the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP, and he outperformed then-Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James in each of the past two Finals.
With Durant on the shelf for Game 1 against Toronto, Leonard registered 23 points, eight boards and five assists. Another athletic Raptors forward was even better, as Pascal Siakam finished with 32 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Durant's skill set was clearly missed in Game 1, and Golden State could be in danger of heading back home down 2-0 in the series if KD misses Game 2 as expected.
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