The Golden State Warriors just finished their fifth straight NBA Finals appearance, but unfortunately for them, they were unable to join the likes of the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers by three-peating. Instead, they would fall short of that goal and had to watch Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors celebrate on their home court in the last game at Oracle Arena. Kawhi Leonard would be named the Finals MVP for the second time in six years while stopping another three-peat. The Warriors rushed Kevin Durant back too soon, costing him the following season.
The Golden State Warriors Rushed Kevin Durant Back Too Soon
Many think the series would have been different if Kevin Durant was healthy. Durant missed over a month after suffering a strained right calf injury during Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Houston Rockets. The timetable for a strained calf can take from three days to six weeks depending on the type. However, Durant would return in Game 5 of the Finals for Golden State but would have to be carried off the court after suffering an Achilles injury.
Andre Iguodala Shares His Take
Golden State Warriors small forward Andre Iguodala was a guest on The Breakfast Club on Tuesday. As a part of his promotional tour to promote his new book ‘The Sixth Man.’ During the interview, Charlamagne Tha God asked Iguodala “So you don’t think the Warriors had any responsibility for pushing KD out there too soon?”
He would reply, ”Well that is the tough part too because if you think about it, we have a really good training staff and I’ll give credit where credit is due. Our training staff is one of the best in the world and feel like they got him back.”
“The tough thing is when you are an athlete when you are hurt everyone is looking at you sideways then being his teammate it is harder because everyone is feeding things into our head. When is KD coming back? Last year it happened to me I missed the last three games of the Houston series that goes to Game 7 and we barely get out of that series. Now they are looking at me like when are you coming back and I had a fractured leg, but it is being put out there like he has a ‘bone bruise.’ I said it’s fractured.”
Andre Iguodala suffered a fractured leg last year in the playoffs, but he says it was written off as a “bone bruise”. (via @breakfastclubam)https://t.co/7VOVpLIoLb
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 25, 2019
Kevin Durant Provides an Update After Achilles Surgery
Kevin Durant broke the news himself on Instagram that he indeed tore his Achilles tendon in his right leg.
“What’s good everybody I wanted to update you all: I did rupture my Achilles. Surgery was today and it was a success, EASY MONEY
My road back starts now! I got my family and my loved ones by my side and we truly appreciate all the messages and support people have sent our way.
Like I said Monday, I’m hurting deeply, but I’m OK. Basketball is my biggest love and I wanted to be out there that night because that’s what I do. I wanted to help my teammates on our quest for the three-peat.”
Stephen Jackson On Kevin Durant’s injury
Stephen Jackson was a guest on the Voice of the Fans, and was asked: “If he was surprised that Golden State allowed Kevin Durant to play in Game 5?”
“Well, my thing was I was on the outside looking in. So, even though I talk to KD, I didn’t know how he actually felt. I was only going off his love of the game and if he was healthy to play, he was going to play. I didn’t know how serious his calf injury was obviously, he knew and that is why he sat out for so long and the doctors and everyone else knew. So, I guess he was playing off the love of the game and heart. If I would have known the calf injury was in the condition it was in I wouldn’t have told him to play, but every man makes his own decisions. I talked to KD and he didn’t blame it on anyone because it was a decision he made.“
Stephen A. Smith Weighs in on Andre Iguodala’s Comments on The Breakfast Club
Stephen A. Smith gave his reaction to what Iggy said on The Breakfast Club.
“If you talk to the Warriors, they will tell you because you know I have and they will tell you it wasn’t no explicit fractured leg or anything like he said, he had a bone bruise 100 percent. You listen to him it is something entirely different. ‘Somebody’s lying!’ I don’t know who, but somebody’s lying it is two completely different stories. Now, if you are the Golden State Warriors for the moment, this looks and the reason why it looks very bad because you are fresh off the KD injury.
Whether you believe it or not, you had some people saying it was an Achilles, and I had to address it and say it was a calf injury it wasn’t an Achilles injury at the time and there was no threat of it being one, that is what the Warriors claim, and the NBA when spoke to them they said it was a calf, not an Achilles.“
Kawhi Leonard Laid Out the Blueprint for Injury Recovery
Kawhi Leonard would rupture his left quadriceps tendon on May 3, 2017, during game one of the Western Conference Finals.
“It’s just hard to tell right now,” Leonard said. “I definitely couldn’t go in that third quarter, with six minutes left. But we’ll see how I get better each day.”
Leonard would miss the rest of the series. He would only play seven games the next season for the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs would trade their former Finals MVP before the 2018-2019 season to the Toronto Raptors for DeMar DeRozan. Leonard would only suit up for the Raptors during 60 of the 82 games this past season.
Per ESPN:
“It was big,” Leonard said in a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols. “When it got bad, we ended up talking, you know, four or five games off. And, you know, if we didn’t do that, I wouldn’t be here right now.
“The way we laid out the schedule was good. I’m happy.”
When asked if the load-management plan really made that big of a difference, Leonard doubled down.
“For sure,” he said. “I don’t think I’d be playing right now if I would’ve tried to go through that season [without it].”
Kawhi Leonard on His Upcoming Free Agency
“Not now,” Leonard said. “I mean, obviously — you know what you want. But I’m not thinking, like — just because of this and this, I’m gonna re-sign. I’m not even thinking about signing or what team I’m gonna go to, free agency, none of that. I’m just focused on what’s in front of me right now. And then, you know, once it’s over, then I’ll revisit everything.”
In a sit down interview with our @Rachel__Nichols, Kawhi Leonard said the load management plan during the season is why he’s playing now. “If we didn’t do that, I wouldn’t be here right now.”https://t.co/73Ugm55p3X
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 7, 2019
If Kevin Durant decided to just sit out for the rest of the playoffs and avoided tearing his Achilles he might be available next season. Instead, he is likely to be out 9-12 months but should be ready for the 2020-2021 season. Kevin Durant decided to decline his $31.5 million player option and will become a free agent according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Free Agency starts on Sunday, June 30th at 6 p.m. ET.
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