NBA: 5 storylines to follow during the homestretch of the regular season

Health at the top of the West

The top two teams in the West all year have been the Suns and Warriors, but health is having a major impact on both. Chris Paul’s thumb injury will likely keep him out until the very end of the regular season, if not the first round of the playoffs. Phoenix has the luxury of an 8-game lead so they’ll hang on to the top spot, but you have to wonder how this could affect their chances of repeating as Western Conference champs.

Golden State has had injury problems of their own in the form of Draymond Green’s back. Back injuries are tricky, and Draymond having no timetable for return is typically not a good sign (looking at you, Zion).

If you ever questioned Draymond’s value, the Warriors are an uninspiring 14-13 since he came out of the lineup and have now been caught by the Grizzlies for the second playoff seed. Offensively, the Warriors have been able to survive, but defensively they’re seven points worse per 100 possessions without Green in the lineup.

He’s the anchor that makes them a championship-level defense, and if he’s not 100 percent for the playoffs, let alone not in the lineup at all, it’s hard to count on them as a real threat to win the West.

With both Phoenix and Golden State showing some vulnerability heading down the stretch, the Western Conference playoffs could be wide open.