Ranking the Miami Heat’s Best Lineups from 2012-2013
By Wes Goldberg
3. Boshless – Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade, Shane Battier, LeBron James, Udonis Haslem
Apr 23, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Milwaukee Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings (3) is defended by Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3), power forward Udonis Haslem (40) and small forward LeBron James (6) during game two in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) the Heat do very well without Bosh on the floor.
This doesn’t quite make sense, as Chris Bosh offers more defensively than Haslem does at this point in their careers and there is no doubt which one is the better offensive player.
Maybe without Bosh, James and Wade feel more free to do what they do without the pressure of getting Bosh involved.
No matter the reason, the numbers don’t lie. It’s the best lineup the Heat has with a net efficiency of 35.0 points with the lineup averaging an unreal 126.2 points per 100 possessions and giving up just 91.2 points per 100 possessions on defense.
Of course, the team can’t just take Bosh off the floor for extended periods of time. After all, he’s the team’s highest-paid player.
It’s important to note that Bosh’s value lies more in the matchup problems he creates than his actual numbers. The team put up ridiculous numbers in this lineup, but only used it 94 minutes during the regular season — so the numbers could be somewhat inflated.
It’s hard to imagine that this lineup would have done a better job against the Spurs in the Finals than one with Bosh in it.