Steve Kerr Explains Why Kevin Durant's Injury Has Been So Frustrating

Programming note: Watch the NBA Finals pregame edition of Warriors Outsiders on Monday at 4 p.m., streaming live on the MyTeams app.

Warriors superstar Kevin Durant might play in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night in Toronto.

The reigning two-time NBA Finals MVP will be a game-time decision.

After shootaround, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr opened up about where things stand with KD:

"He looked good and we'll see where it all goes. You worry about the conditioning. The skill is obviously undeniable. He's a guy who can get his shot off anytime he wants.

"He's been in similar situations with us where he's had long layoffs. He's Kevin Durant. If we have him out there, he'll be a threat. We know that.

"He wasn't cleared to play until after Game 4, and now he's had a couple days practice. So there's some clarity now. But it's been frustrating. We talked about it when the injury occurred -- pretty vague, a lot of gray area.

"One of the first things Rick [Celebrini] told me -- with calves, it could be a couple weeks (or) it could be a couple months. It's not often you have injuries like that ... it's a little tougher to gauge than a joint. When you combine that with the scrutiny and the media coverage of the Finals -- we've been in the spotlight, he's been in the spotlight.

"It's been tough."

Last Thursday -- the day after the Warriors lost Game 3 -- Kerr surprised a lot of people when he declared that Durant would also miss Game 4 on Friday.

"There was no setback," he told the media. "I'm getting asked a million questions every day and so sometimes I may answer something that doesn't jive perfectly with what the training staff saw that morning.

"I probably misspoke last night. I thought today was his day to get out on the floor, but he still has another hurdle to clear before he can do that."

Kerr was frustrated then and he's probably still frustrated now.

But the frustration will dissipate if the Warriors are able to stave off elimination in Game 5 against the Raptors.

The Dubs will have a better chance of doing just that if Durant suits up. The 10-time All-Star hasn't been in uniform since Game 5 of Golden State's second-round series against the Rockets nearly five weeks ago.

[RELATED: Iguodala's interesting response to question on Dubs' future]

"The hardest thing is just not being able to play," Kerr said about KD's predicament. "The most difficult thing is just not being able to be out there with your teammates at the biggest time of the year.

"From that perspective, I've just felt bad for him. We all have."

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