NBA Playoffs 2013: How Injured Stars Will Affect Remainder of 1st Round

NBA fans were lucky this season as there weren't many significant injuries to star players, but a recent barrage of them has changed the look of the NBA playoffs. Several superstars are dealing with significant injuries, and their potential absence could be huge.

Most teams in the playoffs are talented enough to overcome some injuries, but when it comes to key players going down, it could be very difficult to recover. Perhaps the most interesting storyline moving forward is how teams with injured players will compensate.

Here are three of the biggest stars who are in danger of missing games due to injury as well as analysis regarding how their ailments could affect their teams' title hopes. 

Russell Westbrook

Many fans were taken by surprise this week when it was announced that Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook would be out indefinitely due to a knee injury. According to ESPN.com, Westbrook will have surgery to repair damaged cartilage in his right knee, and it is uncertain if or when he will be back this season. Westbrook is obviously a huge loss for a Thunder team hoping to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year.

Westbrook had never missed a single game in the NBA or at UCLA in college, so this injury is certainly an aberration. It apparently occurred during OKC's Game 2 victory when Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverly's hip hit Westbrook in the knee. While Westbrook finished the game, he is obviously in much worse shape than originally thought.

He averaged 23.2 points and 7.4 assists per game during the regular season, so it will be nearly impossible to replace his production. Even if Westbrook can come back, it likely won't be during this series.

Second-year point guard Reggie Jackson will probably see increased playing time in Westbrook's absence, and while they aren't comparable players, Jackson is very capable offensively.

Due to the Thunder's 2-0 series lead and the presence of Kevin Durant, they should still be able to advance to the second round. 

Steve Nash

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash has dealt with nagging injuries all season long, and those injuries have caught up with him during the playoffs as well. Nash tried to battle through them; however, he could not go in Game 3.

According to SI.com, Nash has been receiving epidural shots in his back to block out the pain, but apparently it didn't work. There is no telling if he will be able to play in Game 4, and that could be the end for the Lakers this season.

L.A. is already down 3-0 to the San Antonio Spurs, and they are in an extremely difficult situation regardless. Without Nash and even Steve Blake, though, they had to rely on youngsters Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock in Game 3.

While they actually both managed to score more than 20 points, they don't have enough experience to dominate against a team like the Spurs. The Lakers need a veteran like Nash out there in order to pull off the massive upset.

At this point it is probably best for Nash to sit out the remainder of the season and for the Lakers to wave the white flag. Even if the Lakers are able to win Game 4, there is no way that they can win four straight against the San Antonio Spurs without Kobe Bryant.

Had Nash been healthy, perhaps this would have been a different series, but that hasn't been the case.   

Jeremy Lin

The Oklahoma City Thunder aren't the only team with an injured point guard in their first-round series, as the Houston Rockets could be without Jeremy Lin, as well.

According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Lin is a game-time decision for Game 3 due to a chest injury. Lin was knocked out of Game 2 after colliding with Thabo Sefolosha, and he didn't return. He hasn't tested himself since the injury, so pregame warm-ups will likely determine his status.

With Westbrook already out, Lin has a golden opportunity to make a huge impact on this series. He will get to work against an inexperienced player in Reggie Jackson and could take advantage of him. If Lin is unable to go, however, the Rockets will have to use a backup point guard as well, so it will essentially be a wash.

With that in mind, it is extremely important for the Rockets to have Lin in the lineup.

It doesn't sound like Lin's injury is a long-term thing, so even if he doesn't play in Game 3, a Game 4 return is obviously possible. If the Rockets lose Game 3, however, they will be down 3-0, and it would be too late to make a comeback.

Lin is suddenly a key figure in this series and his status is certainly worth tracking.

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