During game 5 of the NBA finals, Kevin Durant suffered a devastating Achilles injury After sitting out for over a month under careful guidance from Warriors team doctors after sustaining a calf strain during a playoff game vs the Houston Rockets
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) June 11, 2019
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) June 11, 2019
Warriors coach Steve Kerr would later confirm that Durant will be forced to sit out the entire 2019-2020 season with the injury.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 14, 2019
Today, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck spoke with certified athletic director Jeff Stotts who studies NBA injuries believes Durant will probably never be the same player when he returns
Via Bleacher Report
I think you’re going to likely see at least a step back,” said Jeff Stotts, a certified athletic trainer who analyzes injury trends at InStreetClothes.com. “At least, that’s what the studies show—that there is going to be a dip in productivity.”
“It’s hard to return to an elite level of play following that type of injury,” Stotts said, “especially in basketball, with the constant, sudden, start-stop jumping motion that the calf and the Achilles are critical and vital to.”
Stotts goes on to say KD will look good in spurts but he’s not going to be “an 82 game a year” guy”
“He’s not going to be an 82-game-a-year guy,” said a doctor working for another NBA team. “I always say that they can be the same player in smaller doses. So, fewer minutes, fewer games. You will see flashes. The sustained greatness is really, really tough.”
Despite the fact that there’s a good chance Durant will never be the same player the Golden State Warriors still plan to offer him a max contract according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) June 14, 2019
We’ll have to wait and see what options KD has during free agency and if he’ll take the Warriors up on their offer.
