Steph Curry, LeBron James, NBA All-Star 2021
Stephen Curry and LeBron James were teammates in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game @NBA on Twitter

KEY POINTS

  • There is an unbelievable amount of talent that has been sidelined by injuries this season
  • Players like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant are all currently inactive
  • The players on the NBA's injured list would be more than enough to build a championship-winning team

Each season, the NBA sees its fair share of players going down and missing an extended period of time due to injuries.

The 2020-2021 season’s injury bug, however, has been working double-time and has sidelined a collection of players that would make any General Manager drool.

The question now is, with all the talent on the injured list, can you form a championship-caliber team?

(Note: Players that will be considered for this list are players that are currently listed as OUT, not those who are listed as QUESTIONABLE or out due to personal matters or COVID-19 health and safety protocols)

Starters

Philadelphia's Joel Embiid reacts after scoring in the 76ers' 121-109 NBA victory over the Milwaukee Bucks
Philadelphia's Joel Embiid reacts after scoring in a 76ers' victory over the Milwaukee Bucks GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Sarah Stier

  • Joel Embiid
  • Anthony Davis
  • Kevin Durant
  • LeBron James
  • Stephen Curry

The starters for this season’s All-Injured Team look a lot like an All-Star starting five, and some would argue that this collection of talent would be enough to snatch an NBA championship.

Apart from the obvious offensive firepower, this unit is also a defensive juggernaut that has incredible size as well.

The first five that features Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Steph Curry have a total of 10 NBA championships and 47-combined All-Star selections.

More importantly, at least three of these players are currently in the MVP conversation.

Reserves

Klay Thompson Warriors
Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates his three-point shot in the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 26, 2018 in New York City. Elsa/Getty Images

  • Klay Thompson
  • LaMelo Ball
  • Kevin Love
  • Gary Harris
  • TJ Warren
  • D’Angelo Russell
  • Jaren Jackson Jr
  • Jusuf Nurkic

As if the starting five wasn’t already scary enough, the All-Injured Team has a very stacked bench that’s led by former NBA champions and multiple-time All-Stars in Klay Thompson and Kevin Love.

Adding depth to the team are starter-caliber players in D’Angelo Russell, TJ Warren, Gary Harris and Jusuf Nurkic. Rounding out the squad is a pair of young stars in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Rookie of The Year frontrunner LaMelo Ball.

Verdict

Obviously, this lineup has all the right tools to be able to win an NBA championship, or multiple, in fact. The starting lineup resembles an All-NBA First Team, while the reserves alone could possibly be good enough to earn a playoff berth or at least a spot in the play-in tournament.

Still, at the end of the day, it’s quite unfortunate to see this much talent sitting on the sidelines in an NBA season.

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