• Data from here.
• Unsurprisingly, centers and forwards make up the top five.  Centers usually shoot from within 10 feet of the basket (unless your name is Chris Bosh).  And forwards generally don’t take as many mid-range jumpers as guards do (mid-range jumpers are inefficient shots).
• What is surprising is some of the names on this list.  Carlos Boozer?  Harrison Barnes?  Even Serge Ibaka?  These are not names we’d expect to be on this list.  One reason for this is small sample size — any decent professional player can shoot 65% from the field for two or three games.
• The other thing to point out is the importance of Carlos Boozer, Harrison Barnes, and Serge Ibaka to their respective teams.  These players don’t get as much media and defensive attention as other players on their teams (Joakhim Noah, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant) but their efficiency has been key to how their teams have performed in the playoffs so far.  For example, every Bulls fan I know has said that the Bulls play well when Boozer plays well — similarly, with the absence of Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder will need Serge Ibaka to keep on contributing offensively.

If the Heat lose four of five games, it’s because Bosh didn’t grab enough rebounds.

If the Heat lose to the Chicago Bulls in Miami, it’s because Bosh didn’t play sound defense on Carlos Boozer.

If the Heat lose to the Orlando Magic by 13 in December, it’s because Bosh only scored 12 points.

If the Heat lose to the Indiana Pacers in game two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals…it’s because he wasn’t there.

James scored 28 and Wade added 24 but Miami was still not able to take game two as the Pacers won 78-75. Why couldn’t they win, because Bosh wasn’t on the court.

The point of this post isn’t to blame Bosh for not being there, it’s to show a prime example of why Bosh is a much needed aspect for a team that is the favorite to represent the east in the NBA Finals.

Whether agreed or argued, Bosh has had a great season and has put the team on his shoulders when he needs to. It might not be for an entire game because James and Wade are two of the five best players in the NBA. However, when they need Bosh to step out and hit a mid-range jumper or receive the ball on the outskirts of the paint and then feed it inside, he is there.

Bosh has been creating offense when it gets stagnant from time to time with isolation schemes and opposing defenses attempting to lock up James and Wade  every offensive possession. Also, when he steps out of the lane, he takes his man with him to leave extra room for a cutter or Joel Anthony to grab an offensive rebound.

This was desperately missed against the Pacers.

Without Bosh in the lineup, the starting low post of center Ronny Turiaf and power forward Udonis Haslem combined for seven points and seven rebounds. James and Wade can score 52 points in every game they please, but the Heat are not going to win without additional help.

Bosh is that guy. The basketball world can laugh at him all it wants for not being the guy he was with the Toronto Raptors, but he is on a different team with a different identity. He doesn’t need to be that guy and probably can’t be that guy for this team to be successful.

On the other hand, he has to be on the court and be the guy he is on this team for the Heat to win the NBA Championship in what is a make or break season for this team.

James and Wade are enough to get past the Pacers because they’re too good and the team defense will tighten up in game three. However, they’re is going to be huge concerns in the post on both offense and defense if Bosh isn’t there for the Eastern Conference Finals.

With him gone, he showed how important he really is to the team.