Kevin Durant 1 or 2 weeks from returning to Thunder, Scott Brooks says
While Russell Westbrook has risen to an absurd level to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder in the hunt for the West’s final playoff spot, it’s safe to say that the squad misses reigning MVP and league-defining superstar Kevin Durant as he recovers from the latest of the right foot issues that have plagued him throughout the 2014-15 season. Durant has missed OKC’s last 10 games since experiencing discomfort in a February 19 win over the Dallas Mavericks and underwent a surgical procedure several days later. The Thunder have gone a respectable 6-4 over that time, but the team needs all the help it can get to best the New Orleans Hornets and avoid missing the postseason for the first time since 2009.
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The good news is that Durant appears ready to return relatively soon. Unfortunately, the existing timetable stands to keep him away from the team for a substantial portion of the season. As relayed by head coach Scott Brooks on Wednesday, KD will miss roughly one or two more weeks. From the Associated Press:
Brooks said before the Thunder’s game Wednesday night with the Los Angeles Clippers that Durant had been re-evaluated earlier in the day. Brooks says the 2014 NBA MVP ”is progressing” and ”had another good workout today” but isn’t ready to return to the lineup. […]
Using Brooks’ timetable, the soonest Durant would return would be March 18 against Boston. Oklahoma City plays four games between Wednesday and then.
If it seems like Durant has missed more time than initially expected, that impression may be due to the vagaries of his recovery rather than any malfeasance on the part of the Thunder. The post-surgery report stated that Durant would be reevaluated a week later, which is exactly what took place. This latest timetable is simply the result of the latest reevaluation. It’s actually the only moderately specific recovery timetable that the team has given over the past few weeks.
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However, it’s not terribly specific with so few games left. The Thunder play their final game of the regular season five weeks from this Wednesday, so the recovery estimate covers anywhere from 20 to 40 percent of the remaining season. If Durant returns on March 18 he would be on track to play OKC’s final 15 games, whereas a March 25 return vs. the San Antonio Spurs would put him back in the lineup for the last 11. That four-game difference could be pretty substantial a pretty substantial difference, potentially that between a playoff berth and a lottery appearance. The Thunder’s loss Wednesday to the Los Angeles Clippers puts them a half-game behind the New Orleans Pelicans for eighth in the conference, so these small shifts really do matter.
It is likely that the franchise does not want to imagine the prospect of missing the playoffs, although several media members have apparently imagined the resulting worst-case scenarios on Wednesday. General manager Sam Presti fielded and quickly dismissed the question of whether the Thunder would consider trading Durant ahead of his free agency in the summer of 2016. That would be a foolish move unless the franchise were convinced they couldn’t bring back Durant and compete in 2015-16, both unlikely prospects.
Yet the mere fact that certain minds can anticipate such far-off possibilities provides a decent sense of what’s at stake for the Thunder and Durant in upcoming weeks. It’s hard to say that the team’s finish will decide their superstar’s future, but it may well be one of many factors in his eventual decision.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
