Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry insisted the two-time reigning NBA champions will not miss a beat when Kevin Durant returns from injury.
The Warriors have the chance to claim a three-peat of titles after reaching their fifth consecutive NBA Finals in the absence of Durant.
Durant strained his calf in Game 5 of the Western Conference semi-finals against the Houston Rockets and the two-time Finals MVP missed the Conference Finals sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers.
During Durant’s absence, there have been questions as to whether Golden State are better without the All-Star forward.
Curry does not read much into that. He has no doubt that when Durant gets back – assuming he does — the Warriors will continue to flourish.
“When KD gets back are we going to be able to transition? Yeah,” Curry said. “We have that experience and that capability to do so. At the end of the day we are one group until we’re not.
And I don’t think we’re going to let any noise around us, as frustrating or entertaining whatever you want to call it is, on a daily basis we’re not going to let it break us.”
Curry also found out that no matter how the team are winning — with Durant or without him — someone will always find a way to take away from the team’s accomplishments rather than calling attention to all the Warriors have done over the past five years and the last three with Durant.
“Nobody can say anything without it getting scrutinised or criticised,” Curry told reporters. “Nobody can be happy when people are playing well, that’s the part to me that’s most surprising.
If it’s KD playing well it’s ‘Oh they’re playing a different style and it’s not as fun to watch’ or if it’s when he’s out and we’re winning games it’s, ‘Are we better, or are we more fun,’ or whatever the question is, you hear it all the time.
“We are a great team because everybody who puts on the uniform goes out, competes at a high level, look out for each other, there’s a little bit of sacrifice, but at the end of the day it’s all about winning.”
The Warriors will face either the Milwaukee Bucks or Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals.
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