Bleacher Report - Chris Bosh

Why Chris Bosh-Roy Hibbert Matchup Is Definitive X-Factor in Pacers-Heat Series

Grant Hughes — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:00:49 -0400

Everyone knew that the interplay between Chris Bosh and Roy Hibbert would go a long way toward determining the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers, but nobody expected that narrative to play out as obviously as it did in Game 1 Wednesday night.

LeBron James converted two driving layups within the final 10 seconds of overtime, the second of which gave the Heat a shocking win at the buzzer. And as everyone immediately noted, Hibbert wasn't on the floor to defend the rim on either of James' point-blank finishes.

Pacers coach Frank Vogel admitted that his decision to leave Hibbert on the bench in those critical situations had everything to do with Bosh. Per ESPN's Tom Haberstroh:

Vogel explained his controversial decision to go with a switching lineup with 2.2 seconds remaining in the game with the Heat down one, citing the Heat's versatility and the potential for Chris Bosh making a long jumper to win the game.

There's a certain logic to that thinking. But it also seems to overlook the notion that a Bosh jumper is dangerous, while a James layup is fatal.

Vogel has been catching hell from every angle for his decision to sit his best rim-protector when he needed him most. The numbers bore out how much of a layup deterrent Hibbert was in Game 1, as James attempted only three field goals inside of five feet in the 38 minutes in which Indiana's big man was patrolling the paint.

In the nine minutes Hibbert rested, though, James fired up six shots from within that same distance. There's no getting around it: Hibbert would have had an effect on that final play.

But we're not here to talk about what Frank Vogel (who has done a masterful job all season long) should have done. We're looking at the matchup between Chris Bosh and Roy Hibbert as it pertains to the future of this series. It's just worth noting that Vogel's fear of Bosh—however misprioritized—was a key reason for the Heat's series-opening win.

Speaking broadly, the conventional wisdom that says the Bosh-Hibbert matchup is critical goes roughly as follows:

Bosh spaces the floor with his unparalleled mid-range accuracy. No player in the league—regardless of position—shot it better from 16-23 feet than Bosh, who converted those shots at a 53 percent clip. Therefore, he's got the ability to pull Hibbert away from the paint on defense.

Indiana's entire defensive scheme is built around directing traffic toward Hibbert in the lane. But if he's not there because he's honoring Bosh's deadly jumper, the well-oiled machine that is Indy's D could conceivably grind to a halt.

At the same time, Hibbert's size and rebounding skill makes him a difficult cover for Bosh.

It's all pretty basic, really; if Bosh hits jumpers, the Heat have an advantage. But if Hibbert dominates on the inside and Bosh doesn't get hot, it's the Pacers that have an edge.

For what it's worth, Bosh himself mentioned that his matchup would be determinative of the series' outcome. Said Bosh before the series began, via Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald:

I’m going to have to have a big match up with Roy. I feel he is the X factor for them. I’m the X factor for this team. This is going to be, I think, the matchup that really turns the series.

What's interesting is that even though everyone agrees that the center matchup is, in theory, a major one, nothing from the regular-season contests between these two teams portrays that.

Bosh outplayed Hibbert in the three meetings between the teams this year, averaging 17 points per game on 58 percent shooting. Hibbert struggled with foul trouble and only managed 9.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game on 38 percent shooting. What's more, Bosh actually blocked more shots per game (1.7) than Hibbert (0.7) in the series.

And yet the Pacers took two out of three from the Heat in the regular season. Weird, right? Even though the small sample of regular-season games doesn't necessarily corroborate the conventional wisdom on the significance of the Hibbert-Bosh matchup, we learned in Game 1 that it really is one of the series' biggest keys.

Going forward, it'll be fascinating to watch how both teams adjust.

According to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, Vogel has said he'll "probably" have Hibbert in should a similar Game 1 situation arise.

If that happens, though, we're kind of right back where we started—with Bosh presenting a unique perimeter option that Hibbert might struggle to contain.

In Game 1, the two big men both played to something approximating a draw. Bosh had 17 points on just 11 shots and registered a pair of blocks. Hibbert defended the rim, scored 19 points and blocked a pair of shots himself. But the matchup swung in favor of Bosh and the Heat in the final seconds.

As it turns out, the matchup between Hibbert and Bosh really has proved to be as important as advertised. But as James' game-winner showed, its greatest significance lies not in the one-on-one battle between the two centers, but in the way their very different skill sets affect the strategy of both teams as a whole.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/22/3409567/chris-bosh-roy-hibbert-matchup.html#storylink=cpy

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Game Predictions for Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers in Eastern Conference Finals

John Friel — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:14:53 -0400

Hey! Wake up! Don't you realize that the Eastern Conference finals are finally here?

It feels like we saw Halley's Comet the last time we saw the Miami Heat play, but the time is nearly upon us, as the Heat finally face off with the third-seeded Indiana Pacers in the ECF.

The Heat haven't played since May 15, when they defeated the Chicago Bulls 94-91 to complete a 4-1 series victory. The last time they had as long of a layoff came after they were forced to wait for the Bulls and Brooklyn Nets series to conclude after already defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in a sweep.

Miami dropped Game 1 at home against Chicago but won the next four to finish off the Bulls.

Indiana faced a stronger opponent in the New York Knicks and needed six games to dispel of the Carmelo Anthony-centric roster. The Pacers used their strong interior presences to command respect on both sides of the court, resulting in high-percentage shots on offense and contested shots on defense.

New York was able to score over 100 only once. They broke triple digits less often than they scored under 90 points, which occurred in a three-game stretch between Games 3 and 5 that resulted in Indiana taking a 3-2 series lead and eventually winning 106-99 in the clincher.

These two teams are no strangers to each other and have been a part of a number of intense matchups, mostly coming in last year's conference semifinals. Miami won the series 4-2, but not before seeing Chris Bosh get hurt early in Game 1, the Heat implode on the sidelines in a Game 3 loss and incredible instances of teamwork between Wade and James to put the series on ice.

The series featured a number of altercations, including several involving Danny Granger for some reason, and Lance Stephenson and Juwan Howard jawing at each other pregame after Stephenson's gesture the previous game, as well as a later flagrant foul resulting from Lance's mistake.

And how can we forget the pleasantries exchanged by Tyler Hansbrough and Udonis Haslem? For a team that's accused of flopping and being soft, the Heat have been at the center of some of the more intense altercations in recent NBA postseason history.

Miami now features Ray Allen and Chris "Birdman" Andersen, who replaces the role of Ronny Turiaf, as well as Bosh, who missed all but one half of their six-game series with Indiana last year. Meanwhile, the Pacers are without Danny Granger due to injury and have since replaced Darren Collison, Lou Amundson and Leandro Barbosa with D.J. Augustin, Ian Mahinmi and Gerald Green.

The Pacers have also seen excellent development from Paul George and Lance Stephenson.

Indiana won the regular-season series 2-1, but that means nothing at this point. The playoffs, especially this deep, are a completely different game that features teams at their best and capable of making adjustments on the fly.

The Heat have yet to fully exert themselves, because why do they need to, and the Pacers may finally be the team to break them out of this sleepwalking spell and focus on playing for a complete 48 minutes.

A significant challenge will always bring the best out of Miami, and this Indiana team is going to bring it not just with an extremely disciplined defense, but also with the sting from last year's postseason loss to Miami still looming.

Indiana is still convinced they were the better team that series. They might have missed their only chance to take advantage and defeat the Heat, because seeing them beat out this Heat team four times out of seven (the Heat have won 45 of their past 49 games) is something that would deserve to become a movie by Disney.

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NBA Playoffs 2013: Why Chris Bosh Is the X-Factor in Heat vs. Pacers

Eric Bost — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:11:16 -0400

Chris Bosh will make his presence known when the Eastern Conference Finals start Wednesday.

The member of the Miami Heat's "Big Three" has taken on the most criticism by far from the media and fans, who claim he is soft around the rim. But after Bosh went down with an abdominal injury in Game 1 of the Heat's Eastern Conference semi-final matchup with the Pacers in last year's playoffs, people wondered if Miami could compete without their third star.

It took superhuman efforts by both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to move the Heat into the Eastern Conference Finals, but this year Bosh is back and primed to contribute to Miami's championship run.

Yes, LeBron James is the face of this team; he is the best player in the world, after all. But while he's going to continue putting up numbers, Bosh will be the deciding factor on what the reigning NBA champions can do offensively.

The Indiana Pacers run a more traditional defense with two big men down low. While David West is the more skilled perimeter shooter, Roy Hibbert operates from the low block and isn't afraid to muck it up trying to crash the boards.

Hibbert is a huge threat around the rim, just ask Carmelo Anthony. He leads all NBA centers this postseason in offensive rebounds (55) and offensive rebounds per game (4.6) and is first among remaining centers in blocks per game (2.5).

Now Bosh doesn't need to score more points in order for his team to win. His biggest contribution will come more from the perimeter and being able to drag Hibbert away from the rim.

The Pacers need Hibbert down low on defense to create shot blocking opportunities and alter opposing shot attempts. With the Heat's style of slash-and-kick, there will be numerous chances for Hibbert to swat away shots. James, Wade, Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole can all use picks to drive to the basket, and without Bosh, Hibbert will be waiting for them.

The Heat love to play small ball on both sides of the court. They don't have a conventional center; they use Bosh at the five while James moves down to the power forward. That way the Heat can get more athleticism on the court and can use that to create turnovers and run up and down in transition with ease.

With Bosh out there, it gives the Heat another shooter along the perimeter instead of a big center that takes up space in the middle. Bosh is more of a finesse forward that loves a mid-range jumper, like Kevin Garnett is with the Celtics.

Bosh has been a constant shooting threat in the 2013 playoffs. Even though he's scoring 13.2 points per game, he is making the most of his chances when the ball is in his hands. Bosh is third among remaining forwards in field goal percentage (51.6), only behind Kawhi Leonard of the Spurs and LeBron.

Bosh isn't just a hot shooter, he's also made himself dangerous from beyond the arc. He leads all forwards this postseason in three-point accuracy, making a remarkable 46.7 percent of his shots from downtown, according to CBSSports.com.

With Bosh being such a hot shooter lately, Hibbert has to make sure he keeps his eye on him during this series. He is going to be wandering out near the three-point line, far away from where Hibbert likes to be. The 7' 2" center isn't quick enough to get back and help on defense if one of the Heat slashers make a move toward the basket.

Bosh's ability to shoot drags the opposition's big man away from the paint, giving the Heat better scoring chances at the rim and more rebounding opportunities. If Hibbert does stay inside to help the defense, then the ball can be kicked to Bosh on the wing, leaving him wide open for a jump shot.

Chris Bosh may not have been able to play last year against the Pacers in the playoffs, but this time he comes back better than ever. Indiana has to account for Bosh on the wing, but that leaves the NBA's MVP room to charge the rim with authority.

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Why Chris Bosh Is Miami Heat's Most Important Player vs. Indiana Pacers

Dan Favale — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:13:29 -0400

There is no underestimating the importance of Chris Bosh against the Indiana Pacers.

LeBron James is the Miami Heat's most valuable player—alright, the league's most valuable player—and a healthy Dwyane Wade renders them nearly unbeatable, but Bosh will be the ultimate barometer for South Beach in the Eastern Conference Finals.

LeBron is going to get his—let's make that clear. Paul George should be able to limit The Chosen One the way Jimmy Butler did for stretches at a time, but there is no stopping him. LeBron is going to score, he's going to drop dimes and he will threaten the Pacers with 20, 10 and 10 every night.

Wade will have an equally persistent effect. He continues to average playoff career lows in points (13), shot attempts (11.9) and minutes (32.9), but the Heat don't need him to be the Wade of the regular season to win—which, for the record, isn't an insult. Rather, it attests to how talented Miami's roster is and how Wade's presence on the court alone is enough to stymie even the most elite of defensive attacks.

Unlike LeBron and Wade's invariable value, Bosh's importance to the Heat skyrockets against the Pacers. More specifically, against Roy Hibbert. And Bosh knows it.

It's not that the Heat need him to score more points (though that would be nice). They need him to battle in the post with one of the most physical centers in the league, and do so successfully.

"C.B.'s been very active," James said of Bosh (via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel) after Monday's practice. "He's given us unbelievable rebounds around the rim. He's been double digits a lot of our games. He's been blocking shots. He's been a rim protector for us and we definitely need that, especially in our starting unit."

And the Heat need all that badly now.

Hibbert, for all his numerical inconsistencies, is a beast. Standing at 7'2" and weighing in at 278 pounds, he can have his way in the post when he's not in foul trouble, especially on the glass.

For the postseason, Hibbert is averaging 9.6 rebounds per game, 4.6 of which are coming on the offensive end. Only 17 players before him in NBA history have rebounded at such an offensive rate through a minimum of 10 playoff games.

Miami was the worst rebounding team during the regular season and though Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen are the type of physical glass-hoarders who could see some time opposite Hibbert, it will be Bosh that gets a majority of the minutes.

Bosh is averaging 8.3 rebounds a night of his own, but those boards will be more difficult to come by with Hibbert patrolling the interior and boxing him out. The former will have to become more of the aggressor, a role that he's not used to assuming, and one that he also struggled to play against the Chicago Bulls.

Joakim Noah averaged 9.2 rebounds a night during his five games against the Heat, essentially on one foot, no less. More than four of those came on the offensive end for Noah. Carlos Boozer, who Bosh also saw time against, also found success. He brought down 8.2 boards a night, an average of 3.2 coming on the offensive side of the ball.

Hibbert poses a similar, yet arguably more physical threat. Noah is one of the best glass-crashers in the league (better than Hibbert, I'd say), but Hibbert isn't battling a foot injury that limits his mobility or explosion. And if Noah was able to rebound well against the Heat injured, imagine what a healthy Hibbert will be able to do.

It's not just limiting his impact on the glass either. Bosh also needs to combat Hibbert's back to the basket sets.

Though a tumultuous scorer, Indiana's big man has shown he can overwhelm lanky towers like that of Bosh. Just ask Tyson Chandler. He has about four inches and 55 pounds on Bosh, so Hibbert's sets on the block are going to be something to watch.

Relying on him to remain unproductive isn't going to be enough either. Hibbert often disappears on the offensive end for minutes (quarters?) at a time, but he's torched interior defenses for 14 points per game during the playoffs.

To further complicate Bosh's assignment, Hibbert is swatting away 2.5 shots per game in the postseason. Not only will this make it more convoluted a task for Bosh himself to score, but he needs to lure Hibbert away from the rim so that neither LeBron nor Wade becomes the next Carmelo Anthony.

Successfully reaching the rim becomes all the more important when you consider how poorly the Heat are shooting from beyond the arc.

After knocking down 39.6 percent of their treys during the regular season, they're hitting on just 34 percent in the playoffs. Indiana ranked atop the league in opponents' three-point percentage (32.7), so if Hibbert takes away plays at the rim, Miami will be forced to rely on what has been some turbulent distance shooting against a team that excels at contesting them.

The fuss over Hibbert is then completely warranted and not at all exaggerated.

LeBron himself has declared Paul George a superstar, David West will make the Heat work for everything they get and Lance Stephenson has the length, athleticism and physical intellect necessary to impede an already handicapped Wade even further. But what Hibbert can do is more important.

His performances invoke ripple effects that are extremely hard to overcome. The Pacers are a perfect 2-0 in the playoffs when he scores at least 10 points, grabs 10 rebounds and blocks two shots. And they're 3-1 when he simply snags at least 10 boards and sends back two shots.

When he has his way under the basket, Indiana is a dubious beat. Bosh has to take ownership of that on the court. He has to understand that Hibbert has excelled in various aspects of the game against a star-caliber big in Al Horford and a former Defensive Player of the Year in Tyson Chandler.

Miami needs him to effectively mitigate everything Hibbert does so that this series doesn't fall out of reach. If he is unable to adequately match up against Indiana's tower and do all the things that a more defensively-inclined Chandler couldn't (like stay out of foul trouble), it will be the Heat who are in trouble.

The good news? Bosh is capable of holding his own.

In three meetings against the Heat this year, Hibbert is averaging 9.7 points, eight rebounds and 0.7 blocks on 38.2 percent shooting. Bosh himself, though, has found success against the Pacers.

Through three meetings he averaged 17 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks on 58.3 percent shooting. Those rebounding totals need to be elevated, but he has proved he can score on Hibbert, which is half the battle.

The other half is not emerging as a proverbial stepping stone on the defensive end. Keeping Hibbert in check there will keep the Heat in control, right where their supposed to be.

What LeBron and Wade accomplish will speak volumes. And what the rest of the Heat do isn't of any less significance. But it's Bosh who finds himself pitted against the player who serves as a harbinger for Indiana's success.

"It's just work ethic really," Bosh detailed of playing effectively. "That's all, just competing on every single play."

With his work cut out for him against the Pacers, the Heat need that implacable diligence Bosh makes reference to now more than ever. And they need it more than they do anything else.

Follow @danfavale

*All stats in this article were compiled from Basketball-Reference and NBA.com unless otherwise noted.

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Comparables Prove Chris Bosh Is Right Big Man for Miami Heat

John Friel — Sun, 19 May 2013 19:24:39 -0400

Despite being the one member of the trio that can never grasp the offensive spotlight, Chris Bosh has been at the center of more trade rumblings, at least amongst the masses of bloggers and analysts, than any other member of the Miami Heat.

Back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals and the highest PER of his Heat career coming this past season won't help Bosh's cause. His game that's been described as passive, since all passive forwards go for 20 points and 19 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls, has warmed up on his former critics and naysayers who once wished to trade him.

Winning a championship can help do that for you. Bosh was instrumental in the Heat's Game 7 Conference Finals victory over the Boston Celtics, dropping 19 points and converting a career postseason-high three three-pointers, and he also played a heavy role in Miami's NBA Finals victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, stretching out the offense and rendering the roles of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins obsolete.

However, it wasn't until the Heat were without Bosh that his significance to the team came to light for many of his critics. When Bosh went down with an abdominal strain in Game 1 of last year's semifinals, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were able to pull out a victory in the same game but would go on to lose the next two.

Miami failed to score more than 76 points in either outing, scoring 75 in their Game 2 home loss and then matching it with arguably one of their worst postseason efforts in the "Big Three" era when they lost in a 19-point laugher on the road.

It took a mammoth effort from Wade and James for the Heat to win the next three games. They combined for 70 of their team's 101 points in Game 4 and 67 of Miami's 105 points in Game 6.

The two combined for 58 in Game 5, but that game was mostly heralded by Miami's ability to hold Indiana to 34 percent shooting and using their defense to convert into immediate offense.

No, it wasn't until after their three consecutive losses to the Boston Celtics that the importance of Bosh truly become appreciated. With no reliable third option on the floor, Kevin Garnett and the Celtics immediately started double-teaming Dwyane Wade, which led to a greater burden on the shoulders of LeBron James.

It took arguably the greatest postseason performance of LeBron's career in Game 6 and arguably the most improbable postseason performance of Bosh's career in Game 7 just to beat Boston. LeBron would be propped up on everyone's shoulders because of his magnificent Game 6, but Miami probably doesn't make the Finals without Bosh nailing three threes, including two in the fourth.

Even though Bosh wasn't able to drive to the rim as he would with an abdominal that wasn't strained, his influence alone as a perimeter threat is enough to force defenses to adjust because of how difficult an assignment he is.

There are so few players in the league who can shoot as well as Bosh and can drive as well as he can for a 6'11" center. He continues to buy into the Heat's offensive system of spacing the floor. Even though his post-up attempts are down, his spot-up attempts are up, and it's resulting in some of the best numbers of his career.

The 54 percent he shot this season was a career-high by a mile, as was the 52 percent he shot in the range between 16 and 25 feet. In the middle of critics wanting to trade him for a flashier, more aggressive option, Bosh quietly became the league's greatest mid-range threat.

With nearly 33 percent of his offense generated off of spot-up opportunities, Bosh was a 47 percent shooter overall and ranked 154th in the league, per SynergySports.

Compare that to Portland Trail Blazers' power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, also considered an excellent shooter for a player his size, who shot under 44 percent and only saw 15 percent of his offense stem from spot-up, according to SynergySports.

Aldridge was also a 15 percent three-point shooter, while Bosh has shot 32 percent, including the postseason.

Spot-up shots are what Miami is relying on when LeBron and Dwyane aren't taking shots near the rim. Those spot-up shots are what pay the bills for the likes of Shane Battier, Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers and Bosh, who has seen a significant increase in the amount of spot-ups he's taken.

Bosh, not one to complain, has raised no quarrel in seeing his role on the offense diminish as he becomes a glorified shooter who is given the green light to drive when the matchup is right.

Miami leads the league with 1.09 points per possession of spot-ups, per SynergySports, shooting 43 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, they rely on their post-up game for only seven percent of their offense.

To put that into perspective, the Miami offense is more reliant on isolations (10.8 percent) and cuts (8.3 percent) than they are on post-ups. So much for the idea that a team can't win a championship without an established post threat.

Bosh has been one of the key reasons why Miami has been so successful with their innovative offensive and defensive systems. He is a perfect fit for this Heat team because there is no other player his size that can command as large an influence as a perimeter threat.

You can compare the spot-up percentages of many other power forwards and centers, and they won't come close to matching Bosh's numbers. Even if they have a higher shooting percentage than Bosh, they fail to come close to shooting that high of a percentage at the same volume and magnitude of Chris.

Dirk Nowitzki shot 47 percent on spot-ups but only saw 23 percent of his offense stem from those types of plays. Garnett shot 50 percent on 190 attempts, which is solid but fails to compare to Bosh shooting 47 percent on over 300 field-goal attempts on the same plays.

For Heat fans who wish oh-so-badly for the flash and athleticism of Blake Griffin, take note that he's a 36 percent shooter on spot-up opportunities. Miami's offense would come to a crashing halt on many possessions if they had Griffin as their resident stretch 4/5.

He'd be fun in the open court, but as you saw with the Los Angeles Clippers, they're not that great of a team when they're forced into the half court. If Chris Paul has trouble generating offense for you, chances are you're not a multidimensional player.

I'm aware I'm putting a lot of emphasis on each player's spot-up ability, but that would be the position they'd be in with this Heat team. The question this article creates is how any other power forward or center would react and adjust to becoming a player in the position of Bosh, who is now a perimeter shooter that has range beyond the three-point arc.

Wish they had a rebounder like Zach Randolph? He's a 44 percent spot-up shooter who relies on that play for four percent of his game, according to Synergy, and also converted two of his 20 three-point attempts on the season.

His future matchup in David West was only a 43 percent spot-up shooter that has shot 18 percent on 22 three-point attempts. Like so many other forwards/centers not named Chris Bosh, West was primarily dependent on his post-up game.

What happens when you throw these guys like West and Randolph on the Heat and relegate them as spot-up threats? Does David West willingly say, "Sure, I'll gladly abandon my post-up game so I can become a spot-up shooter?"

Sacrifice has been a key theme of this Heat team. Don't forget that Bosh was not a fan of playing center when he was a member of the Toronto Raptors and even made some mentions of not wanting to play it in Miami, yet he played all 74 games this season as Miami's center.

Look at it this way. How many of Bosh's peers willingly take a paycut so that they can become third scoring options and watch as their statlines are cut in half from what they previously were when they were the primary or secondary options on their former teams?

This game is so much more mental than it is physical, and what Bosh has done has been incredibly difficult, including what he has done as a shooter this season. It is not an easy feat to shoot so well on jumpers when you're hardly allowed to ever establish a rhythm since the ball doesn't run through you.

Bosh is the only player at his size and position that can play with this Heat team. As you can see by the offensive numbers of some of his competitors, there just wouldn't be a suitable replacement on that end of the floor for the Heat.

Miami isn't the same team without the shooting expertise of Bosh, which is primarily a reason why they chose him over Carlos Boozer, a 41 percent spot-up shooter that took only two three-pointers on the season, and Amar'e Stoudemire in the summer of 2010.

Boozer and Stoudemire just don't stretch out the floor like Bosh can. Nor do they match the defense that he provides.

Yeah, I said it. Chris Bosh, who is constantly described as passive, had an excellent season on the defensive end of the floor for Miami this season. The 1.4 blocks per he averaged was the highest he's posted since his second season in the league.

The 3.4 defensive win shares he had was the fourth-highest of his career. Three of his five best seasons in that category have come with the Heat.

SynergySports has Bosh among the league's top defenders, ranking him 55th in the league giving up 0.79 points per possession. Those who attempted to post-up on Bosh were held to 38 percent shooting, while pick-and-roll men were allowed to shoot only 35 percent, per Synergy.

The defensive numbers are staggering for Bosh. Naturally, he's going to benefit from being a part of a defense that is composed of brilliant defenders in a brilliant system, but it takes one busted pair of busted legs of this centipede for the entire system to fail miserably.

This Heat team requires extremely disciplined and talented defenders. Because the team relies more on constantly rotating, rather than traditional man-to-man or zone settings, there is always a need for communication and synchronicity between all five players on the floor in order for it to work.

Say the opposition runs a pick-and-roll. The Heat are going to need Bosh, or whoever the player is in that situation, to shield the ball-handler from getting a good look at his intended target and then must race back to his original assignment who has cut into the lane.

Bosh has been one of the league's top defenders in the pick-and-roll, ranking 26th and giving up 0.73 points per possession, per SynergySports.

Miami could have better defensive options than Bosh, obviously. Joakim Noah and Marc Gasol would be huge additions to Miami's defense, but they're not going to provide what Bosh can provide on the defensive and offensive ends.

And let's not look too hard at the rebounding statistics. Bosh may have averaged some of the lowest numbers of his career on the boards, but Miami hardly suffered significantly and found their rebounding problems overstated.

Miami's rebounding differential was only minus-1.5, ranking 21st in the league. However, the differential is inflated by the offensive rebounding numbers, which heavily favor Miami's opponent because of the high percentage the Heat shoot at.

If there are fewer shots being missed, there's not as large a need for offensive rebounds. It hasn't seemed to affect the Heat too badly, especially after beating the Bulls and their vaunted frontcourt in five games.

Rebounding has never been as large an issue as so many would like to indicate. Miami does get beat up on the boards occasionally, but they hardly ever allow their opponent to beat them on the boards when the games matter.

The 2011 Chicago Bulls with Boozer, Noah, Taj Gibson and Omer Asik? Five games to dispel of. The 2012 Indiana Pacers with Roy Hibbert, David West and Tyler Hansbrough? Six games, and that came without Bosh.

Per 82games.com, the difference in defense when Bosh is on and off the court is minimal, with the Heat giving up 105.6 points per 100 possessions when he's on the court and 104.5 points per 100 possessions when he's off.

However, the offensive numbers clearly indicate Bosh's influence in the offense. When he's off the floor, the Heat are scoring 111.6 points per 100 possessions. It's quite the difference from the 115.4 points per 100 possessions the Heat score when Bosh is on the floor.

While the numbers indicate the Heat are a better defensive unit when Bosh is off the floor, some of the best defensive units of Miami come with Bosh playing center. That includes the clutch lineup that features Wade, Allen, Battier, James and Bosh at the 5, which gives up only .98 point per possession.

No other Heat lineup that has played more than 100 minutes together has put together better defensive numbers. A lot of it has to do with the situation and implications, but don't think that Bosh's defensive influence hasn't played a role.

Per 82games.com, Bosh has had seven blocks in clutch situations, including five that have come near the rim.

Remember the adage, "The grass is always greener." It couldn't be more true in these circumstances involving Bosh, who has been the brunt of many complaints surrounding this Heat team that include their "problems" on the boards and the occasional games where Bosh's spot-up game isn't up to par.

But there isn't a player who can fill the role Bosh can. Not only do the Heat have an improved defender who has helped anchor arguably the league's greatest defense, but they have a shooter who cannot be compared to any other player that plays his position or is his size.

Mostly, however, there isn't a player that's going to make the adjustments and sacrifices Bosh has made. Even as the underrated and unappreciated member of the "Big Three," Bosh has taken every last jab at his game, face and emotions in stride as he continues to quietly oil the gears that make this Heat team run as volatile and lethal as they have over the past three seasons.

We can analyze the rebounding numbers and influence of guys like David West and Roy Hibbert all we want, but remember how important those spot-up shooting numbers are when Chris Bosh is splashing home 20-footers over a 7'2" center who will be baffled when defending the Heat's versatile power forward.

And the Heat wouldn't want it any other way.

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