LONDON, England — After suffering a calf strain during the preparation process for the Paris Olympics, Kevin Durant nears a return to the lineup. Whether it’s against South Sudan on Saturday or against Germany on Monday, there is an improving outlook for the superstar wing to be back in action soon.

Durant could not participate in the USA Basketball Showcase in Las Vegas or Abu Dhabi, sidelining him for three preparation games thus far. He’s considered questionable to play against South Sudan in the first of two games in London—the final set of preparatory matches before Team USA faces Serbia in Lille on July 28th.

Friday’s practice was Durant’s first time participating beyond light on-court work since his injury. He’d like to play as soon as possible, but after practicing, he acknowledged in a group interview that his status will be determined by how he feels. “I’m going to see how I feel after practice today,” he stated.

Despite Durant being sidelined for a few weeks, Team USA head coach Steve Kerr was adamant that the organization had not discussed replacing him while expressing optimism that Durant’s return was imminent. “It’s not something we’ve even discussed at this point because we feel good that [Durant] is going to be OK,” Kerr said.

On Friday, Kerr wasn’t ready to reveal much about Durant’s possible status against South Sudan or Germany but was aligned with the need for patience. “I would love for him to play in a game, but we have to take it day by day,” Kerr said about Durant. “We’ll see where he is tomorrow.”

Since being drafted in 2007, Durant has solidified his place in Team USA history as the all-time leading scorer in Olympic history with 435 points—helping guide the program to three gold medals. He’s eager to become the first Olympic men’s basketball player to win a fourth gold medal. Still, he admitted his calf injury raised some concerns about his potential status to compete.

“You always had those concerns, but I see progress every day,” Durant admitted. “It’s one of those things you just got to monitor every day and I see how I feel after I do certain movements and certain exercises. But my thing is just keep working and see what happens.”

While there won’t be much time to re-integrate Durant into the mix before competition at the Olympics in Lille, it shouldn’t be challenging to thrive with the unselfish mentality he brings to the game while being one of the world’s most talented players.

Kevin Durant is ready to be a “versatile player” at the Paris Olympics

While Team USA has no talent shortage without Kevin Durant, his impact unquestionably elevates the group’s capabilities when he’s on the floor. His combination of shot creation and playmaking at his height is a nightmare for defenses, and he is also an unselfish teammate who will compete defensively.

Whatever the group needs from him, Durant is willing to provide it. He’s not concerned about his position since he feels he can do just about any role. “I feel like I am a versatile player that can be put in any position,” he said.

When considering how the FIBA game doesn’t have defensive three-second violations, attacking the paint is a more difficult brand of basketball. It’s very valuable to have a talent like Durant who can get to a spot for a pull-up and use a height advantage to shoot over the top and be a catch-and-shoot threat.

Durant further explained that shooting is important for any team, and he’s ready to be the aggressive shooter and scorer we’re accustomed to seeing him be, “I can shoot the ball, too, so it’s always good to have shooters on the team.”

As a two-time NBA champion and accomplished Olympian, Durant clearly understands the importance of keeping the game simple and being willing to impact the margins. “I’ll try to simplify the game as much as possible. Whatever my teammates need me to do, coaches need me to do, and I’ll try to be there to do it,” he said.

Many think of prolific scoring regarding Durant’s impact on the game, and understandably so. It’s important to note, at practically seven feet tall with a nearly 7-foot-5 wingspan, “The Slim Reaper” presents a talent as a weak-side help defender that Team USA’s coaching staff collectively strongly values.

Adding Durant to the mix makes any basketball team better—that goes without saying. However, with such a talented roster, there have been increased questions about who will start in Lille. Who will be Team USA’s starting five?

Team USA’s Olympic Dream Team: Durant, LeBron, Curry, Embiid, and the Battle for the Final Spot!

With Kevin Durant’s return imminent, he will likely take one of Team USA’s starting roles during the Paris Olympics, along with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Joel Embiid. However, it has not been formally confirmed that Durant will be a starter.

“More firepower, more leadership, more experience in the FIBA game,” LeBron James said about Durant’s return in the same group interview. “We welcome his return. We’re looking forward to him getting back out there and it just keeps us as strong as we can be.”

Given Embiid’s struggles during game competition throughout the preparation process, there’s been external buzz about the potential need to swap him out of the starting lineup in favor of Anthony Davis. The Los Angeles Lakers star big man has thrived doing the dirty work in the paint with more athleticism than Embiid, especially when playing next to Adebayo.

When asked about them, Kerr acknowledged in Abu Dhabi that he likes deploying James, Curry, and Embiid as starters. “Yeah, I like those three guys in the starting lineup,” Kerr said. “We’ve been looking at other guys around them, and we obviously have great options, but I like those three guys together.”

The final starting spot could go to a wide range of options, including Anthony Edwards or Jrue Holiday as guard options and Jayson Tatum if another wing is sought. However, Devin Booker could also be a wild-card candidate. It’s a good problem to have, even though making these decisions can be challenging.

Depending on Durant’s availability on Saturday, there could be multiple opportunities to test combinations and build a rhythm. Team USA comfortably defeated Serbia without Durant in Abu Dhabi. Adding such cohesive, dynamic talent should only help. The team is powerfully equipped to come away with a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.