The Team USA basketball team shifted from Las Vegas to Abu Dhabi, but head coach Steve Kerr was unable to call on his entire team for a Saturday practice.Kevin Durant, one of the team’s leading scorers, did not practice with the team due to a left calf issue.
Durant has not practiced in over a week, but Kerr has already stated that he does not expect the injury to have a significant impact when the team participates in the Olympic Games in Paris later this month.
However, Kerr is beginning to accept that the competition will begin soon, and he cannot guarantee that Durant will be ready to play or will be at full strength when the games begin.
“I know there’s still a couple of weeks before we have to make a decision roster-wise,” says Kerr. “So we’re just taking it day by day.”
While Durant remains a member of Team USA, Kawhi Leonard was replaced earlier this week by Derrick White of the Boston Celtics. The Leonard predicament was known ahead of time because the 33-year-old Clippers small forward was returning from a knee injury. White is set to join the team on Sunday and partake in his first practice that day.
Team USA had planned to bring White on board in June if Leonard was unable to contribute. That strategy was activated this week.
Currently, no replacement plan for Durant has been announced. The athlete wants to be a part of the squad, and Durant has stated that he is excited to play and contribute.
Durant had a calf injury around two weeks ago and has stated that he hopes to play in a few of Team USA’s warm-up games. The first of these games is scheduled for Wednesday against Serbia, followed by another before the commencement of the Olympics.
Team USA will begin Olympic competition against France. Final rosters must be submitted before the competition begins on July 27. Team USA Managing Director Grant Hill and Kerr can make personnel changes before that date.
Durant played 75 regular-season games for the Phoenix Suns, averaging 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. He made 52.3 percent of his field-goal attempts and 41.3 percent of his three-pointers. He also made 85.6 percent of his free throws.
The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated Kevin Durant and the Suns in four games during the postseason. Durant averaged 26.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists across the series.
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