If it seems like just yesterday that Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant was ruled out for the remainder of the regular season with a Grade 2 MCL sprain, it's probably because it wasn't all that long ago.

Durant suffered the sprain, as well as a tibial bone bruise in his left knee back on February 28, he's apparently making some pretty amazing strides and is getting closer to a return, according to Marc Stein of ESPN. He's not the only one either, as it seems that a return before the 2017 NBA playoffs could be on the agenda for Durant.

According to ESPN's Chris Haynes, the team is pretty encouraged by the progress Durant's making since the injury.

"While noting that Durant is roughly at the halfway stage of his recovery journey, sources told ESPN.com that the Warriors are encouraged by the progress Durant has made in the 22 days since he suffered a sprained MCL and tibial bone bruise in his left knee on Feb. 28."

While this is obviously pretty excellent news for both Durant and the Warriors, it matters far more than you may think.

Currently, the Warriors are just 2.5 games ahead of San Antonio Spurs for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. To go along with that, the team is just 7-5 since Durant's injury, which is surprising considering the firepower of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

On that same note, when you lose a player who's averaging 25.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, it's not an instant change to revert to the same success we saw from a similar group before Durant came to town. The Warriors were 50-9 before Durant's injury, and are 57-14 now.

The difference between a No. 1 and No. 2 seed may not seem like much, but it could mean being able to avoid James Harden and the Houston Rockets in the second round, assuming both sides win. On the surface, it doesn't seem like much, but it matters far more than many likely realize.

Durant should be back, at least for a few tune-up games before the 2017 NBA playoffs. That's great news because there's no time to knock off the rust in the playoffs, even against a No. 7 or No. 8 seed. The Warriors should still advance, but they certainly want to do it in as few games as possible, as the NBA playoffs are a real grind for teams and players.