HOUSTON — While many analysts wondered how the Warriors would replace Kevin Durant’s scoring, head coach Steve Kerr was just as concerned with whether his team could fill Durant’s void defensively.
Before sustaining a left knee injury Feb. 28 at Washington, Durant was the biggest reason Golden State’s interior defense hadn’t regressed without Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli. Durant, who was swatting a career-best 1.6 shots per game, anchored a team that led the league in blocks.
Now, with Durant set to be re-evaluated Thursday, Golden State is shoring up the interior.