10 Most Irreplaceable Injured Stars of 2015 So Far
Injuries are bound to happen in sports. When they do, they cause a series of unfortunate events that lead to teams struggling and players dealing with the lingering effects of those bumps and bruises.
Some injuries are a lot more challenging to overcome than others. When key members of a franchise go down, the world implodes into a vortex of losing and suffering.
Checking out the laundry list of names who suffered big injuries or missed extensive time in 2015, we were able to pick 10 that were deemed to be irreplaceable.
This list was formed on how a team played post-injury, the impact each name had prior to getting hurt and what the future holds for each franchise without him.
Kyrie Irving
1 of 10
Would the 2014-15 NBA Finals have turned out differently if Kyrie Irving was able to play throughout the entire series?
It's a reasonable question that inquiring basketball minds can politic about. Irving was the second-best member of that Cleveland Cavaliers team, behind only LeBron James. Before getting hurt, he was growing up as a scorer and passer, and the playoffs proved that.
The Cavs have started off this season 7-1, proving James can carry the load. However, it's Irving's long-term health that affects this franchise. Without him, Cleveland isn't nearly as dimensional.
Let's hope for King James' sake that Irving returns to fold at full strength. Based off last year's playoff run, it's going to be tough for this squad to win a title if that doesn't materialize.
Arian Foster
2 of 10
The Houston Texans' running attack without Arian Foster has been dreadful. Without No. 23, the Texans don't have a dynamic playmaker left in their backfield.
Foster is still one of the top producers in the NFL when he's healthy. In 13 games last season, he ran for 1,246 yards, caught 38 passes for an additional 327 yards and scored 13 total touchdowns.
Things tend to change when Foster is out there on the field. Defenses have to worry about him, and that gives Bill O'Brien's Texans a big weapon they can play around with.
Battling back from a preseason ailment, Foster made his 2015 debut in Week 4. Four games into his season, he ran for 163 yards and picked up 227 yards receiving.
We won't get to see those numbers continue to inflate, however. Against the Miami Dolphins, Foster tore his Achilles, per Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com. He's going to be impossible to replace for a Texans team that's now left picking between backups Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes and Chris Polk.
Kevin Durant
3 of 10
Man is it good to have Kevin Durant back in action.
The Oklahoma City Thunder forward and former NBA MVP's return was needed for a Thunder team that barely missed the playoffs last season—a season in which Durant played just 27 total games.
Eight contests into this new campaign, "KD" is back to averaging 28.1 points per game.
His team may only be 5-3, but that should change with time. As we've all come to know, Durant and Russell Westbrook can be quite the tandem when everything gets rolling.
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Tony Romo
4 of 10
Sometimes we forget how vital Tony Romo is to the Dallas Cowboys. The star quarterback has never garnered the same praise as a Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, but he's just as important to his club.
A perfect example of Romo's worth unfolded this season. Prior to going down with a collarbone injury in Week 2, the 'Boys were 2-0. In the six weeks that have passed without Romo, the team has fallen to 2-6.
Romo can't be called off injured reserve until Week 11. Assuming he gets back to work then, it will be interesting to see how this offense changes. With Romo at the helm for 15 games last year, the Cowboys cruised to a 12-4 record.
Seth Rollins
5 of 10
WWE hasn't seen an in-ring talent like Seth Rollins in a very long time. Based on his willingness to take risks and execute daring moves, Rollins has resembled another longtime stalwart, Shawn Michaels, at times.
It was an obvious choice to keep the championship belt strapped around Rollins' waist. No one in the company was producing at a higher level. Unfortunately, Rollins suffered a torn ACL during a house show in Ireland, per ESPN's Jonathan Coachman.
The injury leaves a void that WWE's creative team has to fill. He's become an irreplaceable star in a company filled with talent. Hopefully when he finally returns, Rollins will be better than ever.
Steve Smith Sr.
6 of 10
A torn Achilles put an end to Steve Smith Sr.'s season with the Baltimore Ravens. It's a terrible shame, considering that the 36-year-old wide receiver had been producing at a high level all year long.
Smith's 46 catches for 670 yards and three scores were big-time numbers.
This was supposed to be Smith's last hurrah in the NFL. He mentioned prior to the start of the season that this would be his final chapter. Smith's tone may have changed since then, according to his agent, Derrick Fox, per Sarah Ellison of BaltimoreRavens.com.
The injury may have opened the door for one more shot at making noise on the field—something the Ravens desperately need.
Without an established pass-catcher, Baltimore's offense could be sent into a state of turmoil.
Connor McDavid
7 of 10
Witnessing a generational talent like Connor McDavid is reason enough to watch the Edmonton Oilers. Seeing him suffer an injury is reason enough to make you pull your hair out.
McDavid was taking the league by storm. His 13 games played as a rookie resulted in five goals and seven assists. Production like that for an 18-year-old is unheard of.
A broken clavicle is what put McDavid's heroism on the shelf, per Yahoo Sports. Darren Dreger of NBC Sports reiterated that the timetable for his injury is around seven to eight weeks (h/t James O'Brien of NBC Sports).
He's already proven to be an irreplaceable talent and the future of this sport. Hopefully he can get back to work soon.
Dion Lewis
8 of 10
Classifying Dion Lewis as a star isn't fair right now. However, his value to the New England Patriots has been immense since joining the team last offseason.
Lewis replaced Shane Vereen in New England's pass-catching halfback role. Luckily for the Pats, he proved to be a better route-runner on film and a more explosive version of Vereen. He picked up 622 total yards of offense on his way to becoming one of Tom Brady's best targets.
After all of that production, a catastrophic knee injury would finish Lewis' season, per Jeff McBride of the Boston Globe. That's going to be a detrimental loss for this team—Ben Volin of the Boston Globe explained why in a wonderful piece focusing on Lewis' impact.
It won't be easy to replicate what Lewis does. He may not be a "star" in the eyes of casual NFL fans, but what he did for New England made that offense much better.
Giancarlo Stanton
9 of 10
Giancarlo Stanton's $325 million deal was almost too much to believe. When he signed the dotted line, the Marlins brought in a franchise player that would be there for eternity.
Stanton's first year under the new deal didn't go according to plan, though. He played in 74 games, thanks to a broken hamate bone, per Steve Wilaj of MLB.com.
The Marlins won 71 games total last season. Would that number have changed with Stanton planted in the lineup? Think about this: His wins above replacement total was 6.5 in 2014. That's a commanding number for a single player.
Above anything else, the sheer excitement he brought to that team was sorely missed. No one commands the plate quite like Stanton.
Ben Roethlisberger
10 of 10
Ben Roethlisberger can't catch a break. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback has already suffered two big injuries this season that have limited him to five games of live action.
His most recent bout with the injury bug came thanks to a sprained foot, per ESPN's Chris Mortensen. The injury took place against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9.
Pittsburgh has gone 2-2 when Roethlisberger has been out, and the offense hasn't looked nearly as dynamic. He really is the engine that makes everything go.
It's immensely difficult to replace a star quarterback in the NFL. Without Roethlisberger, the Steelers' playoff dreams will be shattered into a million pieces.
All stats and information provided by Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.
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