LONDON, England — Expectations remain high for Team USA, which has a loaded roster positioned to win yet another gold medal, between rostering LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant as veteran superstars and no shortage of talented supporting players, including recent NBA MVP Joel Embiid as a naturalized addition to the squad. Many will consider anything short of taking home gold a failure! However, it remains to be seen when Durant will be available to contribute to this run.

Durant suffered a calf strain during training camp in Las Vegas in early July and missed all five of Team USA’s preparation matches. He’s progressed well in the recovery process as he seeks to ramp up to return to competition. Still, head coach Steve Kerr held him out of Monday’s 92-88 victory over Germany at 02 Arena, concluding a two-game stint at the USA Basketball Showcase in London.

Team USA will not replace Durant when it submits its final roster on Saturday, Kerr told reporters. The program, however, would like Durant to participate in several full practices before he returns to the lineup, and his status is considered day-to-day. “There’s no thought of replacing Kevin,” Kerr stated. “I was hoping he would get a game in here, but it just didn’t work out that way.”

Team USA will play three Group C games in Lille to begin the Olympics. The first game will be on Sunday against Serbia, giving Durant five days to recover from his calf strain and return to action. What’s the plan if he cannot play in the first game in Lille?

Fans still have a chance to see Kevin Durant in action!

If Kevin Durant misses the game against Nikola Jokić’s squad, he will have a chance to compete on July 31  against South Sudan or on Aug. 3 against Puerto Rico. Team USA will then play the knockout rounds before the competition shifts to the quarterfinals (Aug. 6), semifinals (Aug. 8), and gold medal game (Aug. 10) in Paris.

Durant, one of the most extraordinary basketball talents in history, can quickly find a rhythm and connect with his Team USA teammates upon his return to competition. Jrue Holiday quickly dismissed any doubt about that during the post-game press conference after defeating Germany. “That’s Kevin Durant, my boy. He needs to be out there,” Holiday emphasized.

Kerr has coached him with the Golden State Warriors in the past. It gives Kerr valuable insight into how Durant handles these situations, further bolstering his confidence. “When he missed time, he came right back — and he is who he is,” Kerr recalled. “He’s one of the most skilled players of all time. So, we hope he comes back soon, and I think he’ll fit right in.”

Durant is Team USA’s all-time leading scorer, entering the Olympics as the only member of the program ever to have scored 400 or more total points at this stage. For as remarkable as LeBron James has been to help close out Team USA’s two friendly games in London, Durant’s status unquestionably remains the top factor to monitor.

At roughly seven feet tall, Durant elevates this group with his combination of scoring, perimeter shooting prowess, and defensive versatility in unique ways that make game-planning a nightmare for the opposition. He’s also remained a vocal leader for Team USA despite being sidelined with injury. It’s also apparent he’s eager to return to the court. During timeouts, he often stays active by getting a few quick shots up or being seen flexing his calf at times. 

When that time does come for Durant to play again, there will be effects on the rotation, including a potential star talent having to spend more time watching from the sidelines or sitting out altogether.

Kevin Durant’s return will impact Team USA’s rotation…Who sits out?

When a player like Kevin Durant, who can likely be penciled in as a starter upon his return from injury, does take the floor, there will naturally be a very talented player on Team USA who has to sit out. Tyrese Haliburton has already experienced a DNP-CD, receiving zero minutes against Germany, signaling he will not be in the American rotation to begin Group play.

At the very least, it can be speculated that talents like Jayson Tatum or, potentially, Derrick White will likely see reduced playing time, with consideration being made based on matchups. Just like with the Warriors, Kerr prefers to deploy smaller perimeter tandems with three guards when it’s possible to do so.

The opponents Team USA is set to face are very different in style, but the roster presents no shortage of options to deploy for other styles. If multiple bigs are needed, Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo have proven to be a dynamic tandem to utilize instead of playing small.

The Americans can rely on Tatum more on the wing if they desire a smaller group, but one that isn’t small enough to feature three guards on the perimeter. With James and Durant as options and bigger frontcourt options, it could sometimes become more challenging to factor in Tatum’s playing time.

This is speculation, but more will become apparent as Team USA continues the preparation process before facing Serbia in Lille. If Durant is physically ready soon enough, he could have chances to participate multiple times soon enough to be ready to play in that game.