NBA Playoffs 2012: What Chris Bosh's Injury Means to the Heat's Playoff Chances

As the Heat chase their first title under the "Big 3", their road to the championship has become slightly more arduous with the removal of 1/3 of its dominant trio.

After receiving an MRI Monday, PF Chris Bosh has been ruled out "indefinitely" after suffering an abdominal strain.The injury, which occurred in the first half of Miami's 95-86 Game 1 win over the Indiana Pacers to begin round two, is expected to keep Bosh out of the entire series against Indiana.

A notoriously tricky injury to assess in terms of time out (recovery time can range from a few days to over a month depending on severity), fans and pundits have already begun speculating on how the Heat will cope with the loss of their starting forward.

How Bosh's loss will affect the Heat's playoff chances in the larger sense will depend heavily on the length of his injury. However, his removal from the lineup should make an immediate impact in the current series against the Pacers.

Bosh's value to Miami manifested itself in several ways, but perhaps the most important in their matchup against Indiana was his ability to stretch the floor in regards to the Pacers' big men.

A gifted midrange shooter for his size, Bosh's ability to hit outside jumpers provided an effective tool to draw talented center Roy Hibbert out of the paint. With Hibbert no longer forced to leave his comfort zone, the driving lanes for the Heat get considerably smaller and more crowded. Backups Udonis Haslem and Ronny Turiaf will do their best Bosh impressions to finish the series, but his absence should make the task of limiting Wade and James' scoring chances much easier.

Furthermore, Bosh's injury puts added strain on a starting lineup already shouldering a significant amount of minutes for the Heat. With Bosh gone, Miami's so-so depth will cause Lebron and Wade to have an even larger responsibility in terms of production and time on the court.

James will suffer especially, as he will likely be called upon to fill Bosh's spot at PF at times, in addition to his role at SF. Already averaging 38 mpg in the postseason, if Lebron is forced to carry such a significant workload this early in the playoffs, it could have significant impact on his effectiveness later in the bracket.

If the Heat are able to make it past the Pacers in the second round, Bosh's injury becomes much more crucial to Miami. Recovery time for an injury such as Bosh's is usually two-to-four weeks, and if his healing falls on the longer side, he could find himself out for the majority of the Heat's potential playoff run. Without Bosh, the Heat's chances at advancing past the Celtics in a conference final become far more dicey.

While Miami is still the likely favorite, Bosh's injury, as well the inconclusiveness of when he will return, has cast a shadow of doubt as to whether 2012 will be the Heat's year. With Bosh gone, both Wade and James must shoulder an even larger amount of pressure and responsibility if they hope to capture a title and prove the "Big 3" was a justified reaction.

For Bosh, he has the even more challenging task; sit silently on the sidelines and wait "indefinitely" for his chance to once again help his teammates.