Injuries to Star Players Make West's Playoff Picture Interesting

Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets is injured. So is Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz. The Los Angeles Lakers are still playing without the duo of stars. Kawhi Leonard is down with soreness in his right foot and will miss time with the Los Angeles Clippers.

With a month left in this condensed National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season, these injuries that hit star players could make the playoff picture for both conferences more interesting, particularly in the Western Conference.

After beating the Lakers on Tuesday (Manila time), the league-leading Utah Jazz hiked their record to 43-15 and are one and a half games ahead of the Phoenix Suns. The team expects their leading scorer, Donovan Mitchell, to sit out at least three games after sustaining an ankle injury. Mitchell will undergo a re-evaluation after a week.

However, pundits believe that the Jazz will hang onto that top spot of the Western Conference even if Mitchell sits out more games. What worries pundits is how the Jazz will play in the first round of the playoffs and say against a Golden State Warriors squad with a hot-shooting Steph Curry. Or a Luka Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks.

The Warriors and the Mavericks could play in the play-in tournament right before the playoffs.

It's not the question of how the Jazz will play without Mitchell. It's how the team will perform with Mitchell if and when he's healthy enough to suit up. Mitchell is averaging 26 points, five assists, and four rebounds before his injury.

Another team whose playoff hopes hang in the balance due to injuries is the Denver Nuggets.

Denver is sitting at fourth place in the West with a 37-20 slate. Nikola Jokic is putting up Most Valuable Player (MVP) numbers as he's averaging 26 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and 1.4 steals per game. The problem is: Jamal Murray is out for the season due to a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee.

Murray is averaging 21 points, four assists, and four rebounds this season. He was one of the bright stars in Denver's run to the Western Conference Finals last year. Fortunately for the Nuggets, Michael Porter Jr. is picking up his game- averaging 23 points and eight rebounds this week while shooting 40% from the three-point line. They also signed Austin Rivers to a 10-day contract. It's now the question of how long Denver can play this way without their star point guard.

If three of the top four teams in the heavily-stacked Western Conference could be missing their stars until the end of the regular season, the Lakers are in a different situation. The defending champions are about to have Anthony Davis AND LeBron James back into the line-up after the duo missed a big chunk of the season's second half due to injuries.

There's no secret that the Lakers have been struggling offensively without their one-two punch despite the arrival of Andre Drummond. Despite their woes, the champs are still able to hold down the fort. The good news is: Anthony Davis could make his return against the Mavericks. And the scary part is: the Lakers could get healthier once the playoffs roll.

Injuries are part of any sport. Some come at the worse possible time, such as those that hit Jamal Murray and Donovan Mitchell. Others happen early on the season, which gives teams and players ample time to adjust. While injuries are unavoidable, it now boils down to who makes the best out of it. Looking at the tight Western Conference standings, pundits believe that injuries to players will make the race to the playoffs more interesting.

Photo is from Sports Illustrated