What Losing Chris Bosh Means For Miami Heat

By Christopher Cruz | Feb 21, 2015

Jan 8, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Miami Heat center Chris Bosh (1) yells against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /

It was a short-lived day Friday when Miami Heat fans could gloat about their championship aspirations. But it seemed like from one day to the next, those hopes were dashed, and nobody was even sad about it. Why? Because Chris Bosh was dealing with something serious.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Bosh is being treated at South Miami Hospital where the organization as well as his family are waiting to hear a full diagnosis. But what the organization fears is that Bosh has developed a blood clot that may have extended to his lungs, a cause for real concern in term of his overall health.

More from Miami Heat

While the team awaits the diagnosis, fans have been anxious over what might be for their star player. Ironically though, it hasn’t been for the potential loss it might be for their season. There was genuine concern for Bosh and his health, and it is something commending Miami fans for.

However, due to the recent trade for Goran Dragic, it is worth considering how this might affect the team’s overall play.

For starters, they will miss a Hall of Fame player in their lineup. Bosh is an underrated defender who is able to cover different sizes and speeds. The other thing is that they will miss his ability to spread the floor.

With Hassan Whiteside becoming the resident big man on the block, having Bosh on the outside gives Miami the ability to have four players playing from outside. He bring shot blockers out of the paint, opening the lane up for Dwyane Wade and Dragic.

Now, the only other big men that Miami has is Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen. Miami fans can thank Andersen for practicing three-point shots before games, but he is far from being the kind of three-point threat that Bosh was.

That means that you’ll more than likely have Haslem and Andersen running the baseline and shooting midrange shots. It could work still, it just obviously isn’t the same.

But Miami will also have to get other players involved as well. Mario Chalmers and Shabazz Napier will be two players that they will lean heavily on, especially after trading away Norris Cole. This will not be normative I presume, but the Heat were able to put up 111 points against the New York Knicks, a game in which only one player on the Heat roster failed to get into double digits.

There will be a lot more test games for Miami to pass, and they will need to remain healthy if they want to make some noise in the East. But it appears that even without Dragic and Bosh, the Heat were still able to score pretty well, and hold New York to less than 90 points.

Now if they could just bring that same intensity to other games, especially those that matter, maybe Miami will make it to .500 and make a push in the playoffs. They now have two to three wing players that can create their own shot, as well as a big man who dunks everytime he gets the ball no matter where he receives it.

That would indeed make Chris Bosh proud.

Next: NBA Power Rankings

More from Hoops Habit

Home/Miami Heat