Until his recent standout performance in a thrilling win against the Dallas Mavericks, no one suspected Kevin Durant was playing through pain. His play showed no signs of discomfort as The Slim Reaper came alive in the clutch, trading key baskets to seal the victory. However, Durant’s late-game heroics came at a cost—he sustained a left ankle sprain and is expected to miss at least two weeks.

This timeline is tentative, though. Given his history of ankle injuries, the recovery period could be extended if this injury resembles the one he suffered just a few months prior.

Before the Paris Olympics began, Durant didn’t play a single exhibition game due to a left calf strain. According to Windhorst, at that time Team USA “thought he was going to come back sooner,” yet the All-Star forward decided to proceed with further caution. The analyst became curious as to why.

Windhorst only saw one relevant connector. It goes back to the time Durant suffered the worst injury of his life, tearing his ACL during the 2019 NBA Finals. It cost him not only an entire season but maybe a championship. Likewise, such horrors can create mental barriers, which can result in extensive caution before returning to high-intensity basketball action.

Windhorst, who was covering the Olympics though decided to get the perspective from Kevin Durant himself only to realize his mistakes quickly. “I asked him if what happened to him when he had the calf injury when he was with the Golden State Warriors where he then tore the Achilles on the same leg had that affected him as he was coming back from this injury… And Durant kind of snapped “no”. Like no this topic is closed for discussion,” Windy revealed on Hoop Collective.

The specifics of the injury haven’t been examined just yet. Windhorst isn’t sure whether it’s identical to the calf strain from the Olympics. However, the two ailments do have situational differences. In 2019, many perceived Durant’s Game 5 return as a ‘back to the walls’ measure. When the injury aggravated, it signaled the possibility of his return coming earlier than it should have.

During the Olympics though, Durant had the chance to properly heal from the left calf injury and became a focal point of the gold medal win. It seems like the Suns will take a similar approach considering just how pivotal the 36-year-old icon has been to the team so far this season.

Phoenix Suns immediately feel the absence of Kevin Durant

While the Suns have played amazing basketball, they have had to strive till the end. From the ten games so far, eight required the Suns to collaborate during clutch time. And with all at stake in those last five anticipated minutes, Kevin Durant took the charge. Averaging 5 points, he shot 63% from the field, making imperative shots game after game.

Furthermore, defensively, he would exhaust himself with a defensive rating of 88.1 in the clutch. Likewise, with him on the floor, the Suns didn’t lose any of their seven games that went down to the wire. But as he missed his first game due to the calf strain, the sun set on Phoenix.

After initially erasing an 11-point deficit, the Suns captured the stronghold against Sacramento. However, things changed when the fourth quarter came. The Kings had DeMar DeRozan, a clutch maniac to see out of the rest of the game. Phoenix, without Durant, couldn’t find their go-to bucket-getter.

DeRozan launched his mid-range arsenal, missing only one shot in the entire fourth quarter. He scored 16 of his 34 in that period. Devin Booker and Bradley Beal combined for just 12 points in that same period. Then in overtime, the same tune rang. Deebo didn’t miss when scoring eight while Booker went scoreless.

All they lacked was one Slim Reaper. However, the worry is the overreliance on him.

With Kevin Durant missing multiple weeks, it’s critical for the likes of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal to elevate their role as scorers. Book has taken tremendous strides defensively since learning the perks of tenacity during the Paris Olympics. At the same time, his scoring finesse has lacked to start the season.

The 28-year-old is very capable of being the enforcing scorer to ignite the Phoenix Suns. He has done it in the past and now has robust presence all around him to aid their pursuit. The loss of Durant without a doubt is major. But do you think the Suns can hold their nerves until he returns? Let us know your views in the comments below.