Steve Mitchell-USA Today Sports
After winning their second consecutive NBA Title, the Miami Heat have proven that they were built to win multiple championships. Even the 4-time champion San Antonio Spurs, who were undefeated in the Finals, couldn’t stop them. With elite performances by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, the Heat were able to successfully defend their title in a 95-88 victory in Game 7. Though James and Wade were able to step up in the big game, where was Chris Bosh?
As the third member of Miami’s Big 3, and arguably the most overlooked, Bosh seemed to be going through the motions the entire series against San Antonio. Not only did he seem to be a liability offensively, but he was continually out rebounded by his opposition. In this series, Bosh averaged 11.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.6 BLKPG and shot .462 from the field. Respectable numbers to say the least, but not numbers that you expect out of somebody who is set to make around $17 million next season.
Once upon a time, Bosh was a superstar with the Toronto Raptors. When signing with the Heat in the 2010 offseason, he knew that he had to take a step back with James and Wade as Miami’s top scoring options. In his first season, Bosh was able to post star numbers averaging 18.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG and shoot .496 from the field. Bosh was also stellar in the postseason that year as he averaged 18.6 PPG, 8.5 RPG and shot .474 from the field. Very similar numbers to his regular season totals. After a disappointing loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals, Bosh’s production had seemed to go downhill. Last year, Bosh was able to maintain regular season averages of 18 PPG, 7.9 RPG and shoot .496 from the field.
Unlike 2011 though, the 2012 postseason wasn’t so kind to Bosh. In the playoffs, he averaged 14 PPG, 7.8 RPG and shot .493 from the field. Despite Bosh’s postseason struggles, Miami was still able to win the 2012 Finals beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games. This season, Bosh was looking for a little retribution. Knowing that he was playing on the final two years of his contract, Bosh needed to start proving his value to his team not only in the regular season, but when it counts in the postseason. His scoring saw a decline from 18 points the season prior to 16.6, and he averaged a career low 6.8 RPG. The only bright side was that he shot a career high .535 from the field. Other than that, Bosh’s 2013 campaign was a disappointment. The postseason was even worse.
Throughout the entire playoffs, Bosh averaged a meager 12.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG and shot .458 from the field. Every one of these categories were career lows for Bosh. His field goal percentage was the lowest it has ever been since his first playoff appearance as a Raptor. Bosh’s steady decline has to be a worry for Pat Riley and crew. With LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all being free agents in the summer of 2014, the Heat have to make a decision and quite frankly, have to make one fast.
