Has there ever been a more lopsided "health status" in the Finals?

[kshutts1]

Honest, non-troll question. And I realize saying it that way makes it sound troll-y.

But for those that know the history better than I do... can you ever think of a Finals where the relative health of each team is so "lopsided"?

[NBAplayoffs2001]

2004 Lakers:

Losing Malone in the playoffs hurt. Losing an old Horace Grant during the postseason hurt them too. Slava guarding Rasheed?! :roll: :roll:

Rick Fox was also hampered with injuries that year.

[kshutts1]

2004 Lakers:

Losing Malone in the playoffs hurt. Losing an old Horace Grant during the postseason hurt them too. Slava guarding Rasheed?! :roll: :roll:

Rick Fox was also hampered with injuries that year.
Malone hurts. That Lakers team is not hampered with injuries as badly as Cleveland, though. But that's obviously totally subjective.

[Kblaze8855]

By the end of the 91 finals Worthy and Scott were gone but they were not out to start the series..

[NBAplayoffs2001]

Malone hurts. That Lakers team is not hampered with injuries as badly as Cleveland, though. But that's obviously totally subjective.

Better team defensively without Kyrie and Love. Just loose some offense albeit inefficient offense at times.

[NBAplayoffs2001]

By the end of the 91 finals Worthy and Scott were gone.

Very true, Worthy became obsolete pretty quickly after the 80s title runs.

[kshutts1]

By the end of the 91 finals Worthy and Scott were gone.
Before my time. I know Worthy the player, but how important was Worthy that season? And Scott? Were they integral parts? How many games did each play? I can obviously google that last part easily if you don't know.

[SouBeachTalents]

'89 Finals were lopsided health wise. Scott was out for the Lakers and Magic was injured and played just 75 total minutes, while the Pistons were at full strength

[NBAplayoffs2001]

'89 Finals were lopsided health wise. Scott was out for the Lakers and Magic was injured and played just 75 total minutes, while the Pistons were at full strength

Yep forgot about this one. Lakers had a helluva of a decade. They just burnt out at this point.

[kshutts1]

Better team defensively without Kyrie and Love. Just loose some offense albeit inefficient offense at times.
All due respect, but I'm not going to debate 2004 Karl Malone v prime KLove and Kyrie.

Edit: I appreciate the mention of that team, though.

[Hey Yo]

2004 Lakers:

Losing Malone in the playoffs hurt. Losing an old Horace Grant during the postseason hurt them too. Slava guarding Rasheed?! :roll: :roll:

Rick Fox was also hampered with injuries that year.
But none of the above was LA's second best player. Even though Kobe (their 2nd best player) shit to bed in that series, LA losing him after game 1 would have been worse.

[gyu]

Better team defensively without Kyrie and Love. Just loose some offense albeit inefficient offense at times.
For a team's offense that is simply LeBron or Kyrie isolation, the impact of losing that offense greatly outweighs any defensive gains.

[kshutts1]

'89 Finals were lopsided health wise. Scott was out for the Lakers and Magic was injured and played just 75 total minutes, while the Pistons were at full strength
Good call on that one. Thanks.

So unless there are more "entrants" this is the most "lopsided" the respective teams have been in terms of health since '89.

Makes for either a really boring series, or one of the most incredible series' ever. WE shall see which.

[J Shuttlesworth]

For a team's offense that is simply LeBron or Kyrie isolation, the impact of losing that offense greatly outweighs any defensive gains.
Really not a defensive gain at all losing Kyrie. Did people not see the defense he played on Curry game 1?

[Rose'sACL]

Most lopsided since '89.

[Kvnzhangyay]

Before my time. I know Worthy the player, but how important was Worthy that season? And Scott? Were they integral parts? How many games did each play? I can obviously google that last part easily if you don't know.

With Worthy I truly believe they would have beat the Bulls. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall Lakers winning game 1, then Worthy got injured, and Bulls won after that

[niko]

99 Knicks had Ewing out and were playing with Dudley, Camby, LJ hurt to the point it hurt their games. And that wasn't exactly a team that oozed talent.

[niko]

When the Lakers played the Bulls in the finals they lost Scott and Magic in the first two games.

[97 bulls]

With Worthy I truly believe they would have beat the Bulls. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall Lakers winning game 1, then Worthy got injured, and Bulls won after that
The Lakers did win game 1 on a last second shot by Sam Perkins. But Worthy and Scott played in every game but game 5.

[97 bulls]

When the Lakers played the Bulls in the finals they lost Scott and Magic in the first two games.
That was vs the Pistons

[JohnnySic]

1987 Finals Celtics:

McHale broken foot
Parish 2 sprained ankles
Ainge sprained ankle
Walton injured foot
Wedman injured heel
Sichting persistent virus
Bias dead