The Golden State Warriors haven’t missed a beat in the absence of Kevin Durant but, in the grand scheme, the reigning NBA champions would certainly like to have another MVP-caliber option on the floor as quickly as possible.
With that in mind, all eyes are on when Durant might return from his calf ailment and, while it was public knowledge that the former MVP would not return for Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, ESPN’s Doris Burke provided clarity on the timeline in saying he was expected to miss at least three additional contests.
Warriors GM Bob Myers confirmed Burke’s report on NBA Countdown shortly after, stating the star won’t travel to Portland for Games 3 and 4.
Bob Myers said pregame on @NBCSAuthentic that Kevin Durant won't travel to Portland. Game 5 is back in Oakland, next Wednesday, six days from now.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 17, 2019
Given that the Warriors appeared dominant in their opening victory over the Blazers, there might be slightly less urgency to Durant’s arrival than under normal circumstances. Still, it is noteworthy that he will be reportedly miss additional time and, with an eye toward the NBA Finals and a potential match-up against the Toronto Raptors or Milwaukee Bucks, Durant seeing the floor against Portland would be encouraging.
Virtually everyone agrees (including the good folks in Las Vegas) that the Warriors should be able to navigate the waters against the Blazers without Durant but that could change with haste against either Toronto or Milwaukee. On the bright side, there seems to be no indication that Durant would remain on the sidelines until the NBA Finals but, until he actually returns at full strength, there is always some level of uncertainty when attempting to project his reintroduction.
