Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant is officially out for game one of the NBA finals Thursday night against the Toronto Raptors.
Head coach Steve Kerr announced the news to the media Sunday afternoon as the future Hall of Fame member continues to battle a calf injury, according to a report from NBA.com.
It’ll be the sixth game in a row Durant doesn’t take the court for the Warriors.
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Things are about to get real interesting for the Warriors as they prepare to take on the Raptors for their third title in a row.
The Warriors had no problem dismantling the Trail Blazers in the last round without Durant, but there’s no guarantee it’ll be nearly as easy this time around. (RELATED: Toronto Raptors Will Play The Golden State Warriors In The NBA Finals)
After going down 0-2, Toronto looked incredibly impressive as they rattled off four straight wins against Milwaukee. Trust me, the Warriors don’t want to take any chances, and getting Durant on the floor as quickly as possible has to be what they’re all hoping for.
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Can the Warriors handle the Raptors without Durant on the court? Maybe, and I’d even trend the needle towards likely, but there’s no guarantees at this point.
With Durant healthy, the Warriors should be able to roll the Raptors. With him sidelined, I honestly have no idea what will happen.
If you’re a Warriors fan, now would be the time to call in any favors you might have. It’ll be much better for the team to have Durant playing than have him on the bench. That’s simply a fact.