NBA FINALS TEAMS WITHOUT THEIR BEST PLAYER

-Ranked by the strength of the remaining roster.
-Major Finals injuries count.
-Comparisons are era-adjusted.

* = Won NBA Finals

15 STRONGEST TEAMS

1. 2017 WARRIORS* — Remove Stephen Curry

Durant, Thompson, Green, Iguodala, Livingston, West

2. 2018 WARRIORS* — Remove Stephen Curry

Durant, Thompson, Green, Iguodala, Livingston, Looney

3. 1986 CELTICS* — Remove Larry Bird

McHale, Parish, Dennis Johnson, Ainge, Walton

4. 1985 LAKERS* — Remove Magic Johnson

Kareem, Worthy, Scott, Cooper, McAdoo

5. 1983 76ERS* — Remove Moses Malone

Erving, Toney, Cheeks, Bobby Jones

6. 1987 LAKERS* — Remove Magic Johnson

Worthy, Kareem, Scott, Cooper, A.C. Green, Thompson

7. 2024 CELTICS* — Remove Jayson Tatum

Brown, White, Holiday, Horford, limited Porzingis

8. 2008 CELTICS* — Remove Kevin Garnett

Pierce, Allen, Rondo, Perkins, Posey

9. 2001 LAKERS* — Remove Shaquille O’Neal

Bryant, Fisher, Fox, Horry, Grant

10. 2019 RAPTORS* — Remove Kawhi Leonard

Lowry, Siakam, Gasol, Ibaka, VanVleet, Danny Green

11. 2014 SPURS* — Remove Tim Duncan

Parker, Ginóbili, Leonard, Green, Diaw, Splitter, Mills

12. 1982 LAKERS* — Remove Magic Johnson

Kareem, Wilkes, Nixon, Cooper, McAdoo

13. 1989 PISTONS* — Remove Isiah Thomas

Dumars, Aguirre, Rodman, Laimbeer, Johnson, Mahorn

14. 1996 BULLS* — Remove Michael Jordan

Pippen, Rodman, Kukoc, Harper, Longley, Kerr

15. 1967 76ERS* — Remove Wilt Chamberlain

Greer, Walker, Cunningham, Wali Jones, Luke Jackson

15 WEAKEST REMAINING TEAMS

1. 2015 CAVALIERS — Remove LeBron James

Mozgov, Thompson, Smith, Shumpert, Dellavedova
*Love unavailable; Irving lost after Game 1.

2. 1965 LAKERS — Remove Jerry West

Barnett, LaRusso, Hazzard, Krebs
Baylor already unavailable.

3. 2007 CAVALIERS — Remove LeBron James

Ilgauskas, Gooden, Varejão, Gibson, Pavlovic
Hughes compromised by injury.

4. 2018 CAVALIERS — Remove LeBron James

Love, Hill, Smith, Green, Thompson, Korver

5. 1981 ROCKETS — Remove Moses Malone

Reid, Murphy, Dunleavy, Paultz

6. 2001 76ERS — Remove Allen Iverson

Mutombo, McKie, Snow, Hill

7. 1974 BUCKS — Remove Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Dandridge, late-career Robertson, McGlocklin
Lucius Allen unavailable.

8. 1999 KNICKS — Remove Latrell Sprewell

Houston, Camby, Ward, Thomas
Ewing unavailable; Larry Johnson injured.

9. 1947 PHILADELPHIA WARRIORS* — Remove Joe Fulks

Musi, Dallmar, Senesky

10. 1959 MINNEAPOLIS LAKERS — Remove Elgin Baylor

Garmaker, Foust, aging Mikkelsen

11. 2020 HEAT — Remove Jimmy Butler

Herro, Robinson, Crowder, Olynyk
Adebayo and Dragic limited by injuries.

12. 1964 SAN FRANCISCO WARRIORS — Remove Wilt

Rodgers, Meschery, rookie Thurmond

13. 1994 ROCKETS* — Remove Hakeem Olajuwon

Thorpe, Maxwell, Smith, Horry, Cassell

14. 2002 NETS — Remove Jason Kidd

Martin, Van Horn, Kittles, rookie Jefferson

15. 2019 WARRIORS — Remove Stephen Curry

Thompson, Green, Iguodala, Looney, Cousins
multiple injuries.

NOTE: Curry vs. Durant is debatable. Removing Durant instead still leaves the 2017–18 Warriors at the top.

This post was edited on 10/23/26 at 12:04 pm