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As the Golden State Warriors prepare for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, DeMarcus Cousins–who has not played a single game in the playoffs this year–has been activated. Kevin Durant, however, remains out of the rotation with a mild calf strain.
Durant has still yet to practice since he went down with the injury in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets, and former NBA legend and TNT analyst Charles Barkley said he would be stunned if Durant played in the Finals:
"I don't think Kevin Durant is going to play this series at all." – Charles Barkley#NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/Rgdpx48NlD
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 30, 2019
Durant was in the midst of arguably his finest postseason yet before he suffered the calf injury. With both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson struggling to find their rhythm, Durant averaged 34.2 points in 11 games, shooting over 50 percent from the field and over 40 percent from beyond the arc.
This run of brilliance was marked by a two-game stretch in which Durant scored 95 points against the Los Angeles Clippers, including a 50-point performance in Golden State's closeout victory in Game 6.
Durant then matched James Harden step for step until the freak injury forced him out for the rest of the series against the Rockets. In his absence, Curry and Thompson dominated, closing out Game 5 and then storming back into Game 6 to win the series before sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals.
There is a possibility that Durant has played his final game in a Warriors uniform should he not be available for the remainder of the Finals.
Although team owner Joe Lacob has made it clear that the Warriors will do everything they can to re-sign both Durant and Klay Thompson, KD may be looking for the next challenge in his professional career.
