There have been multiple rumors surrounding Kevin Durant. Most of them stated KD’s timeline, whether he was close to playing against Serbia or not. Brian Windhorst also had multiple developments, but in the end, the reality turned out to be something else. Now, Durant only attended the first scrimmage session with Team USA, following which his right calf got injured. But there are a lot of things that are to be considered when bringing him back. In a rare possibility, the Suns can look to pull him out before Saturday.

While KD is working really hard to get back on the hardwood, his return seems to be delayed. Not only that, but the Slim Reaper wasn’t happy with Brian Windhorst! “Kevin was not happy with me when he saw the TV report that I made a couple of days ago that I wasn’t sure he was gonna be able to reach all the steps in order to play against Serbia on Sunday. That’s because he’s working very, very hard to get back from this calf injury. Playing for the national team is extremely important to him.”

“He’s playing in his fourth Olympics. But the truth is, Steve Kerr has delayed his window.”, Windhorst said on NBA Today. “Initially, they said that he was going to be able to hopefully play in one of the two games in London. Not only did he not play in London. Steve Kerr then spelled out he wanted him to go through several practices…before considering playing him.”

“So they’ve slowed him down. Kevin is anxious to play, wants to play, doesn’t think it’s going to be an issue. So, we’ll see how the next few days go and I’m going to take a step back and not upset Kevin anymore and not take off the table on Sunday against Serbia,” Brian concluded. The plan of action would be to have KD participate in practices and scrimmages before announcing his final status for the first group stage game.

Now, it’s publicly been announced that Durant is eager to participate, knowing what is at stake. The Slim Reaper is looking to hunt for his record 4th Olympic Gold medal. On the other hand, Team USA is also missing the seven-footer in a lot of aspects.

From Kevin Durant’s perspective, he also has the chance to become the only male basketball player with 4 Olympic golds. Of course, this will be an incredible feat to achieve, knowing that he is also the all-time scoring leader of Team USA on this global stage. As eager as he is to play against Serbia, the injury concerns are as alarming. A wrong move could put his upcoming season in jeopardy. But the good thing is, the Slim Reaper is working each day and getting his shots up. Joining Steph and LeBron, Durant’s addition will be key.

Kevin Durant will be the X-factor of Team USA, taking stress off LeBron James

Team USA took 17 shots from the deep compared to the Germans who let 45 long-distance rippers fly! The gap between these metrics is majorly concerning. Of course, the Hoopers don’t feature top-notch chemistry, but the fact that they have the best shooters from the NBA on their side does come into play. And this is where Kevin Durant will help his teammates. KD is a solid mid-range threat who can post up and drain buckets off the dribble. Also, the three-point line isn’t as long as it is in the NBA.

Keeping this in advantage, Kevin Durant can attract the defense inwards in the low post, making space for an outside-the-paint takeover. Or, if the former MVP wants to shoot the three-ball himself, he can certainly let it fly, considering AD and LeBron James are near. He can solve a lot of problems, but only if his return aligns with the coaching staff’s interest. The Slim Reaper won’t exactly be starting as soon as he gets back, which is a good thing for the second unit, as KD would join ANT and Tatum‘s rotation.

It will be interesting to see whether he will suit up on Sunday. What are your thoughts on Kevin Durant’s return? Do you think he should return to the game against South Sudan instead? Let us know in the comments.