Golden State Warriors: 3 biggest offseason questions
1. What’s going to happen with Kevin Durant?
Back in 2015-16, the Warriors steamrolled through the regular season, collecting an NBA-record 73 victories. Despite their record-breaking season, though, the Warriors lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals. Following that unpredictable scenario, the Dubs went out and landed Kevin Durant in free agency, essentially shifting the balance of power in the NBA. What has KD added to the roster since his arrival?
Well, he led the team in playoff scoring over the past two seasons, averaging 28.5 and 29.0 points per contest, respectively, on his way to being named Finals MVP each year. This postseason, Durant became the first player in NBA history to post 50-40-90 shooting splits while averaging over 30 points in the postseason.
Kevin Durant finished the playoffs as the only player in NBA history to average 30 PPG on 50-40-90 shooting in a single postseason (min. 5 games). pic.twitter.com/GoDw8a3MbG
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 12, 2019
With Durant playing at such an efficient level, the Dubs seemed destined to win it all again. The team’s fortunes changed, however, when he sustained a calf injury in Game 5 of the conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets. Yes, Golden State managed to get by the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers. But against a balanced team like the Raptors, his absence loomed large, to say the least.
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Durant briefly returned in Game 5 of the Finals, scoring 11 points in 12 minutes. However, he went down again with another injury — this one a torn Achilles — that will sideline him next season. The question here is, will Durant and the Warriors come to an agreement on a long-term deal, or will he take his services elsewhere?