Many Miami Heat fans thought that once LeBron James decided to take his talents back to Cleveland, that Chris Bosh would follow him right out the door, with his destination likely being the Houston Rockets.
Luckily for the Heat, Pat Riley stepped up at the last moment and helped make Bosh’s decision easier. By offering him a five-year max deal, Chris Bosh got to stay in Miami, somewhere he said his heart was always at.
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Before the season, I said that Chris Bosh was worth his contract, and more to the Miami Heat. Even after a rough 2014-2015 season for Bosh, especially healthwise, I stand by that statement. Without Bosh, it’s hard to see the foundation that’s been built for this team being in place.
When Goran Dragic arrived in Miami via a trade with the Phoenix Suns, one of the players Dragic looked forward to play with was Bosh. He never got that opportunity this year, but will, if Dragic indeed resigns in Miami. Bosh will be a major factor in that.
While Bosh did miss much of the second half of the season due to his health scare with the blood clots in his lungs, let us take a look at what he did on the court, and how he projects moving forward.
What Went Right
Chris Bosh, with the Toronto Raptors from 2003-2010, averaged 20.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game on 49 percent shooting from the field, and 30 percent from 3-point land.
In 2014-2015, Bosh averaged 21.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on 46 percent shooting, and 38 percent from beyond the arc.
Returning to being the man for Chris Bosh worked out quite nicely, despite the dip in shooting percentage. While the dip in shooting percentage doesn’t look ideal, you have to remember Bosh has evolved into a different player than from his Toronto days. Bosh only attempted 22 3’s in 70 games with the Raptors in his final season there. Last season, Bosh attempted 168 3-pointers in his 44 games of action.
When the Heat won, Bosh averaged 23.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, on 50 percent shooting and 42 percent on 3-pointers. The Heat were plus-12.9 points with Bosh on the court in those 19 contests.
He looked every bit like a star player worth the max contract he received.
What Went Wrong
In the Heat’s 25 losses with Bosh, he averaged just 19.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game on 43 percent shooting and 34 percent on 3’s. In those 25 losses, the Heat were minus-16.1 points with Bosh on the court.
Union and Blue
Of course, the Heat would likely have been a lot better off if Bosh had played the entire season, as Bosh’s numbers would have likely gone up playing with a better point guard, with Dragic taking over for the duo of Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole.
Bosh never got to play with Dragic in 2015, because on February 20th, the same day the Heat acquired Dragic, it was learnt that Bosh had been admitted to a Miami hospital. A couple of days later we got the news that Bosh had blood clots in his lungs and would be out for the rest of the 2015 season, severely hurting the playoff chances of the team.
Luckily for the Heat, Bosh will be able to return to basketball activities in September and should be ready by training camp to put his health scare behind him and prepare for a playoff run in 2015-2016.
Best Game
There were plenty of games to choose from, but I decided to go with the first game of the 2014-2015 season, where the Heat, led by Bosh, defeated the Washington Wizards to start the season 1-0.
In that game, Bosh scored 26 points, grabbed 15 rebounds (a season high), and dropped 4 dimes. Bosh shot 9-of-18 from the field and 3-4 from 3-point land.
After a rough off-season for the team and their fan base, with the loss of LeBron, Bosh did all he could to help fans forget free agency, at least for one night.
Where He Can Improve
Consistency.
Bosh had a solid season in his first year of being the “man” after four years of playing the third wheel. Bosh needs to limit the amount of nights he has poor shooting performances.
His splits in wins and losses, all mentioned above, are something he needs to improve on. If Bosh can be closer to the 50 percent shooter he was in the Heat’s 19 wins, that win total will be even higher next season.
Playing alongside Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside all season should definitely help his numbers out next year, as the spacing will be almost as good as it was when he had LeBron on his side. Only difference being, the responsibility for him will be similar to this season.
Looking Ahead
Chris Bosh will remain the highest paid Miami Heat player in 2015-2016, earning $22,192,730 in year two of his five-year contract. Bosh will look to build on a strong 2014-2015 campaign, one that was cut short due to health concerns that were out of his hands.
Bosh talked about how much he missed the game due to the health scare, so it would not surprise me to see him playing with an extra chip on his shoulder, a bigger hunger to make up for lost time.
Even with Dwyane Wade already in tow, the emergence of Hassan Whiteside, and the acquisition of Goran Dragic, Chris Bosh should be the Heat’s number 1 offensive weapon headed in the new season. The team will go as far the 30-year old forward can take them.