Miami Heat: Why Chris Bosh Is Pivotal to Their Success

Last year, Chris Bosh averaged 18 points and eight rebounds and made another appearance in the All-Star game. You would think this meant all was well at the starting 4; then again if you actually watched all season, you knew it wasn't that simple.

There were certain kinks in Bosh's game and demeanor which, if the Heat had anticipated them going in, might have led them to go after Carlos Boozer instead—although he hasn't exactly been a revelation himself.

Bosh's numbers predictably and justifiably took a rather steep drop from his Raptor days, due to sharing the ball with perhaps the NBA's two most ridiculous talents. Unfortunately for everyone involved, this came with the much more unexpected penchant for complacent, and at times downright spineless basketball for a power forward.

It goes without saying that as a so-called member of the Heat's so-called "Big Three," Bosh should be among those on this team capable of striking fear in the opposition. Alas, even as third options go, this did not happen, making people further scratch their heads at the instantly questionable idea to pay Bosh and LeBron the same salary.

With all three making the same amount—actually Wade makes a half-mil less—I think it's safe to say Bosh is going to be considered overpaid no matter what.

Still, another seesaw-at-best season like his first one in Mouth Beach would vault him into the realm of "grossly overpaid." With this comes outspoken media criticism, which Bosh really doesn't need more of.

Bosh's media status (read: laughingstock) is no secret, but something we don't hear mentioned very often is the way it impacts the team's overall place in public opinion. Bosh is very much the team's number one target for ridicule.

People may poke fun at LeBron, but they never stop fearing him, because they know what he can do. People make fun of Chris Bosh and never worry about having to eat their words.

Consider the whole crying story last year, and recall that Bosh's emotional fragility was at the forefront of the whole fiasco. When Spo let it slip that there were guys crying in the locker room, Bosh was assumed de facto to be the first among them in light of a recent droopy-lipped display after blowing that Orlando game.

When you think about it, what are the Bosh highlights that stick out in our minds from last year, besides the crying incident, the 1-for-18 game or "The Flop?" He needs to give people something else to remember this year; more pretty good numbers pocked with the occasional garbage performance won't do.

The stream of questions about Bosh's toughness has trickled down to the rest of his team, such that D-Wade and LeBron are rumored to be criers themselves through no evidence other than proxy.

This team already has enough people questioning their intestinal fortitude without Bosh making things worse, so here's hoping he can keep his emotions and bad acting to himself this year.

Anyway, back to the hardwood...

Right now, Miami still have a "Big Two," plus one above-average-at-best third option. People call it a "Big Three" because these three were the marquee names in the summer that changed basketball forever. The moniker is more a result of their mutually-high profiles and inflated paychecks than a commensurate degree of talent.

Still, even by his own far lower standards, Bosh's impact has been less than expected.

Normally, you would think a team with two double-team-worthy players would have very little to worry about from opposing D's. However, in a system with two stars playing highly similar games from the same spots on the floor, good defensive rotation generally eliminates the need to devote four men to guarding two.

Add to this the Heat's relative lack of role players to make defenses pay for sagging off, and their dream of being utterly unguardable is still far from a reality.

What happened to the Chris Bosh who used to consistently command the double on the baseline?

If that Bosh returns—and while we're at it, if the pair he grows is larger than the pair he left back in Canada—then the top three will have enough power to keep the entire opposing five with its hands full on D. Next thing you know, someone is wide open under the rim every other possession.

Make no mistake, the Heat don't need Bosh living on mid-range jumpers. It's nice he can stroke those when needed, but they need him to play like a real 4 already, and do a little dirty work down low. Let LeWade handle the mid- to long-range game, and give them a legitimate inside-outside threat.

No matter how good LeBron and Wade may be on a nightly basis, the Heat lose that overwhelming edge if Bosh doesn't give them what they thought they were signing in 2010: a fully reliable backup star who can compromise opposing defenses. He hasn't disappointed yet this season, so this fact appears to have not been lost on him.

Still, there's another 60 games to play, followed by the real season, so we're not even close to verdict time. We all know what a big, mean guy Chris Bosh is when things are going well (see: 5-1 start), so let's wait and see how he reacts when they hit a bad stretch—assuming that even happens all year.

The Heat need the full "Big Three" they signed up for, otherwise they may very well deteriorate into the terrifying realm of beatability they all sacrificed so much to escape forever.