In 2001, Bill Simmons wrote an article for ESPN highlighting what was known as "The Ewing Theory".
"The theory was created in the mid-'90s by Dave Cirilli, a friend of mine who was convinced that Patrick Ewing's teams (both at Georgetown and with New York) inexplicably played better when Ewing was either injured or missing extended stretches because of foul trouble."
It's an interesting theory that, honestly, does still apply to this day. We've seen teams lose their players for short periods of time and look arguably better without said player in the lineup. One of the most popular examples of this theory happened the same year it was published, where star New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe sustained a life-threatening injury against the New York Jets, prompting them to put in the backup, a sixth round selection a season ago.