We all know by now the Golden State Warriors need Kevin Durant - it never should've been questioned in the first place. The defending champions are facing a daunting 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals against the Toronto Warriors, and now KD seems like last man standing between victory and feat.
Will Kevin Durant be ready to play in Game 5 on Monday?
We don't know the answer to that yet, but already, rumors are rife that the star player's absence in the Finals has started to wear on the team - and not just on the court
The Athletic reports "irritation grew" in the Warriors locker room after the team lost Game 4 to the Raptors. Andre Iguodala, Kevon Looney, and DeMarcus Cousins have been playing through injuries during these Finals, and players "simply didn't understand why Durant wasn't there."
The report also states that although the Warriors expected Durant's return on Game 5, the team was hoping he'd return sooner than expected.
The Raptors took a commanding 3-1 lead in the Finals, taking both of the games at Oracle Arena. They'll head home for Monday's Game 5, with Durant's status still up in the air.
"We're hoping [Durant] can play Game 5 or 6," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters before Game 4. "And everything in between I've decided I'm not sharing because it's just gone haywire. There's so much going on, and so it doesn't make sense to continue to talk about it. He's either going to play or he's not."
Durant has been off the court after suffering a strained calf in the Warrior's conference semifinals win over the Houston Rockets. They emerged victorious against the Portland Trail Blazers in the conference finals but have since showing signs of wear in the absence of Durant in the Finals.
The Golden State Warriors found themselves even more short-handed in Game 3 after Looney and Thompson were injured, and Cousins struggling since returning from injury as well.
If Durant's absence has indeed caused frustration within the team, it's safe to say he would be on the court if he was perfectly capable, surely, a professional NBA player like him wouldn't "save" himself for an impending free agency with a title at stake.
