Kevin Durant injury: Could load management have prevented calf strain?

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The Kevin Durant injury sucks for numerous reasons. But perhaps the most aggravating one of all is the possibility that it could have been prevented.

Sort of.

Injuries happen. They're a part of the game. But in discussing how the Warriors might proceed without the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP, Tom Haberstroh points to Durant's rapid increase in minutes as a potential cause of his right calf strain.

Haberstroh mentions a recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which suggests a strong correlation between significant jumps in training load among professional athletes and a sharp increase in the probability of injury. It suggests limiting the weekly training load increases to less than 10 percent to minimize risk of injury.

Why is this relevant? Because Durant's recent load increase dwarfs the recommended amount.

In the six games since Game 5 of the Warriors' first-round NBA playoff series against the Clippers, Durant has played totals of 41, 42, 43, 44, 50 and 43 minutes, respectively. In the 10 games before that, he played totals of 27, 21, 29, 37, 28, 18, 32, 34, 30 and 38 minutes, respectively. That's an average of 29.4 minutes per game prior to Game 5 against the Clippers, and an average of 43.8 minutes per contest since.

"That’s not less than 10 percent," Haberstroh states. "That’s nearly a 50 percent jump."

So, it begs the question: Would Durant have suffered the same right calf strain when he did if his load had been managed more severely?

The Warriors weren't the deepest team entering the playoffs, and after DeMarcus Cousins went down with a torn left quadriceps, that problem was exacerbated further. Given the importance of the games in which Durant's minutes increased so significantly, it's hard to fault Steve Kerr for continually depending on perhaps the best player in the sport.

Durant's injury sucks. There's no point in placing any blame, but it's worth mentioning the Warriors blew a 31-point lead in one of their losses to the Clippers, and allowed a far less talented opponent to extend that series six games.

[RELATED: It's all up to Steph, Klay and Draymond now with KD injured]

Every second on the floor is another opportunity for greatness, but it's also another chance for injury. Load management has been one of the themes of this NBA season, and it sure would be ironic if it figured into the end of a dynasty.

Then again, the Warriors aren't the ones facing elimination on Friday.

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