Kevin Durant Injury Update: Calf strain rules Suns superstar out for 2 weeks minimum
Kevin Durant is the latest NBA star to suffer an injury less than a month into the season. Durant is out for at least two weeks because of a left calf strain sustained on Friday's win over the Dallas Mavericks. It's a huge blow for the Phoenix Suns, which is off to an 8-1 start.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Durant suffered a strained left calf in the Suns' 114-113 victory against the Mavericks at American Airlines Center. He finished the game with 26 points, five rebounds and four assists.
The Suns have ruled him out for a minimum of two weeks, when he'll be re-evaluated further. It's unclear what type of calf strain KD suffered from, but there are three grades. The typical recovery for Grade 1 is two to four weeks, Grade 2 is four to eight weeks and Grade 3 is three to four months.
Kevin Durant was having a great start to the season, averaging 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. Durant was shooting 55.3% from the field, including 42.9% from threes and 83.6% from the free throw line. He's the reason the Phoenix Suns sit atop the Western Conference standings.
In his absence, the Suns will have to rely more on their two other All-Stars, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. They will likely share the scoring load with Royce O'Neale, who will possibly be filling in for him in the starting lineup. O'Neale offers some defensive help and can knock down shots from beyond the arc.
Grayson Allen, Josh Okogie and rookie Ryan Dunn are also likely to get more minutes with Durant out. Allen is a knockdown 3-point shooter, Okogie makes hustle plays, and Dunn has shown he can defend players at the next level.
When did Kevin Durant suffer the calf injury?
As mentioned, Kevin Durant suffered a left calf strain on Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks. But when did KD exactly sustain the injury?
Duane Rankin of AZ Central reported that Durant can be seen grabbing his left calf before returning to the game with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. He played through the injury to help the Phoenix Suns improve to 8-1 for the season.
It's a rough blow for the Suns, but they have enough personnel to continue having a great start to the campaign. They need to be cautious about KD's calf injury since it was the same injury he had in the 2019 NBA playoffs. He returned when he wasn't ready, and it likely led to his Achilles tear in Game 5 of the finals.