Kevin Durant, back-to-back Finals MVP went down in Game 5 of the second round of the playoffs, however, the Warriors still thrived without him. They went on to win the series against Houston and then sweep Portland in the Western Conference Finals.
Usually when a team loses their best player due to injury in the playoffs, it results in elimination. This is not the case for Golden State who still have a plethora of all-stars on their team such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala. The year before KD joined the Warriors they were able to break the record for most wins in a season going 73-9.
Some people are asking if the Warriors are better without Kevin Durant. Honestly, this shouldn't even be a question. Obviously, the Warriors are better with their best player on the floor. One topic that can be debated is whether or not Golden Sate will need KD in order to win the NBA Finals where they will face either the Toronto Raptors or the Milwaukee Bucks. If it ends up being a Bucks-Warriors Finals, then I believe that the Warriors will need Kevin Durant in order to neutralize "The Greek Freak" Giannis Antetokounmpo. Physically, Durant would be the best player to matchup against Giannis, which might be able to slow down the Bucks offense since it revolves around him. Can the Warriors win the Finals without Durant? Well they have done it before so it definitely is possible, but the odds would increase with him on the floor.
It would also be good for the NBA to have Durant back for the Finals. Good news is that Warriors owner has stated that KD will be back for the Finals which begin on May 30th. The reason why this is good for the NBA is because it will show that a team needs its best player in order to win a championship. We have already been missing one superstar from the playoffs in LeBron James. If the Bucks are able to make the Finals then it will be a must-watch series between two of the best players in the NBA who are considered unstoppable.
Warriors Forward, Draymond Green even stated that they need Kevin Durant back for the Finals. Durant was averaging 34.2 points per game this postseason before his injury. Without his length, size, and scoring ability the Warriors may struggle against the size of either Milwaukee or Toronto.
The series between Toronto and Milwaukee is now even at 2-2 after the Raptors were able to even the series on Tuesday night. Even after the loss, Milwaukee still looks like the better team and most basketball fans believe they will make the Finals.
Even with Milwaukee having "The Greek Freak" and shooters that surround him, KD returning for the Finals will make this Warriors team unstoppable due to the number of weapons they will have. When Curry, Klay, Draymond, and KD are all healthy there isn't a team in basketball who can beat them in a 7-game series.
