Miami Heat's 2016-17 Season Outlook Is Dire with Chris Bosh Reportedly Out Again

Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat's worst nightmares appear to be coming true. 

After the All-Star power forward's 2015-16 campaign was cut short by a second bout with blood clots, he spent the offseason fighting back to playing shape, eager to contribute once more. Unfortunately, those comeback efforts have now been negated by further discoveries, as the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson first reported:

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A complication has arisen in medical tests involving Heat forward Chris Bosh, derailing his attempted comeback, according to a source.

The complication involved evidence of some continued clotting and is believed to be related to one of two previous blood clot episodes. Those episodes sidelined Bosh after the All-Star break each of the past two seasons.

Though the complication is not considered life-threatening if treated, it requires medication and playing with it is considered unrealistic.

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The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski is even revealing this could be the end of Bosh's career in Miami:

The first concern is Bosh's health. He is a unique character with a genuine personality, and we should all wish him nothing but the best in his continued recovery efforts. His well-being needs to be his first priority, and his impact on the Heat's competitiveness in 2016-17 is nothing more than a subsidiary issue. 

But that impact will be substantial now that Miami has to accept its new reality: Bosh might not play at all. 

Shifting Rotations

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Along with Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow, Bosh was one of only four locks to begin games. He'd earned that right ever since coming to South Beach as part of the Big Three he, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade formed, and nothing about his healthy performance suggested he was in danger of severe regression. 

Now, everything is up in the air. 

Miami has two vastly different options for its sans-Bosh starting five: a small-ball lineup and a more traditional one. The former would keep the three aforementioned incumbents together but shift Winslow to the 4, allowing both Dion Waiters and Josh Richardson to line up on the wings.

But with Richardson still recovering from his MCL injury, that won't be the preferred route until later in the season—if at all. 

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The more likely outcome involves letting Josh McRoberts take Bosh's place as the starting power forward, which limits what Miami can do with its premier five-man group. Talented as the veteran big is as a passer and sparsely used floor-spacer, McBob's defense doesn't pass muster.

And if he's asked to fill a bigger offensive role, he might look even more porous on the preventing side. 

But Bosh's absence wouldn't just affect the starting lineup. It forces the entire team to scramble in an attempt to cover up for one of the roster's stars. Winslow and James Johnson will inevitably spend more time at the 4. Derrick Williams becomes more important. Willie Reed and Stefan Jankovic might be thrust into the spotlight in expedited fashion. 

The onus would be on head coach Erik Spoelstra to display a ceaseless willingness to adjust at a moment's notice. 

Diminished Expectations

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Even when Bosh was theoretically in the fold, the Heat were hard-pressed to be viewed as a playoff lock in the Eastern Conference. Losing Dwyane Wade to the Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng to the Los Angeles Lakers and Joe Johnson to the Utah Jazz was painful enough, but the front office failed to bring in any replacements more significant than journeymen Waiters and Williams. 

Internal improvement is possible, given the wealth of young talent on the roster.

Whiteside is only 27 years old and already on the brink of becoming one of the NBA's 20 best players. Winslow (20) and Richardson (23) are entering their sophomore seasons after impressing as rookies. Tyler Johnson (24) was emerging as a quality rotation piece before a shoulder injury derailed his campaign. Even Waiters (24) and Williams (25) have untapped potential, though their failures in other locations should keep the expectations in check. 

There are reasons for optimism, but now Miami is also attempting to replace Bosh, who was clearly one of the team's most valuable players despite missing about half of the 2015-16 calendar. Per NBA Math's total points added:

With Deng gone, Richardson is the only returning player who was a positive on both ends. And while Whiteside was clearly the team's MVP, Bosh was the biggest offensive standout, which shouldn't be particularly surprising. As Rob Mahoney wrote for Sports Illustrated's rankings of the NBA's top 100, (which featured Bosh at No. 37, in part because of these health concerns):

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Bosh had quietly tapped into the dueling instincts of his game to play his most actualized offense yet. He again became a 20-point scorer almost incidentally, humming through enough spot-ups and pick-and-pops to bolster his creative endeavors. ... Bosh was great—a versatile hub for offense, a plus defender, and the sort of star whose very presence augments the opportunities of those around him.

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His three-point shooting (36.5 percent on 4.2 attempts per game) helped space the court for his teammates, and data provided by B/R Insights shows he ranked in the top 50 for gravitational pull among all players who took at least 100 spot-up attempts. He finished in the 95.5 percentile for isolation offense and the 73.1 percentile as a roll man, per NBA.com's SportVU data.

His versatility was astounding. 

Out of necessity, Miami's offense did learn how to function without him on the floor, which is why the offensive rating in 2015-16 was actually higher in his absence. But that same result will be tough to achieve without so many of last year's key pieces. 

The Heat barely finished in the league's top half for offensive rating (No. 14 with 106.1 points per 100 possessions), and it would now be shocking if they remain there.

Devoid of any impact additions coming to save the squad, it's time to accept the unfortunate reality: Without Bosh, this Heat outfit will be mediocre and struggle to remain in the playoff picture.

The sooner the front office accepts this and begins handing more minutes to the many young up-and-comers on the roster, the better. 

Unless otherwise indicated, all stats are from Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com or NBA Math.

Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @fromal09.