Heat Need 5 Questions Answered

Can Chris Bosh adjust to being the centerpiece of the Heat’s offense?

The past four years saw Bosh transform from a 20/10 guy in Toronto, to a third option that was relegated to spot-up shooting, as well as drifting out beyond the arc.

But with new additions, as well as questions about Dwyane Wade (SPOILER ALERT!), Bosh will be at the center of what the Heat will try to do offensively. He’ll get a lot more touches, as the Heat will need him to be more assertive. He’s done it before and he can do it again.

Whether he goes back to being a “back to the basket” type of player remains to be seen. However, I think he can still be very effective at the elbow, using his shot ability and shot-faking to his advantage. Check out his shot chart, he’s effective anywhere inside 24 feet, while being quick enough to get past power forwards or centers that go out to guard him. As long as his shot his falling/is respected, the Heat can play around him. He’ll be able to open the floor for guys like Wade and Luol Deng.

However, playing away from the basket limits his chances of getting offensive rebounds. Quite the Catch-22. He’s going to need to be more aggressive on the glass. The Heat still don’t have much of the way of rebounders, so Bosh needs to at least pick up his rebounding on the defensive end and limit the amount of opposing team’s second-chance opportunities.

Although he isn’t a great shot-blocker, he’s still a good defender that doesn’t get enough credit on that end of the floor (he had a better defensive rating than Dwight Howard). He’s quick closing out on players heading toward the basket, as well as a good pick and roll defender. He’ll be the anchor of what the Heat can do on that end of the floor.