Coaches plan to ease Durant back in when he’s OK to play
With Kevin Durant set to be re-evaluated by team doctors in less than a week, the Warriors’ coaches are in the preliminary phases of planning for his return. All they know at this point is that Durant will probably be on a minutes restriction during his first few games back in the rotation.
“It’s something we’ll consult the training staff on,” head coach Steve Kerr said after practice Saturday. “I imagine we’ll ease him back by playing him shorter minutes to start, so he can build up his rhythm and his conditioning.”
Durant has missed 12 games with a sprained medial collateral ligament and bone bruise in his left knee. In recent days, he has been seen running wind sprints, hoisting jumpers and even dunking after practice.
Durant will be re-evaluated Thursday, after the team returns from its back-to-back set in Houston and San Antonio. It is unlikely that he’ll be cleared before the week of April 3, but the Warriors remain hopeful that Durant will be available to play by the end of the regular season April 12.
“That obviously has a domino effect on the entire rotation,” Kerr said of Durant’s return. “When we get to that point, we’ll figure that out. But it’s not something I’m giving a lot of thought to right now because he’s still at least a couple weeks away.”
Playoff implications: Golden State’s game Sunday against Memphis could be a preview of its first round matchup in the playoffs.
With 10 regular-season games left, the 58-14 Warriors are nursing a 2-game lead over San Antonio for the Western Conference’s top seed. Memphis, at 40-32, is currently slotted for the seventh seed, which means it would face Golden State in the first round if the Warriors fall to the second seed.
That could be tricky for Golden State. When the Grizzlies beat the Warriors on Jan. 6, they became the first team to top Golden State twice in the same regular season since the Spurs in 2014-15.