Absolutely. No question.
People speak of his 8 points and 7 boards. But, factor in 3 blocks, 2 charges taken, countless shots affected, the screen and roll, the converted easy/'power points' coming off lobs, and the added size/bulk. He made a huge difference in ways not reflected in the point totals of him versus his sub. Oh, and he was the best outlet passer in the country — he started a lot of breaks. How many FB points did we get in the games he missed?
Saying the question is irrelevant is saying no hypothetical questions have 'merit.' What else is there to do in a 'fan forum?' It's 90% speculation here.