Chris Bosh Injury: Miami Heat Will Still Advance to NBA Finals Without Star

It may seem that the Miami Heat are in danger of being knocked out of the playoffs earlier than expected after Chris Bosh's abdominal strain, but they are still the favorites to make it to the NBA Finals.

Keep in mind, Bosh strained his abdominal muscle in the second quarter of Sunday's Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers. But the Heat were actually outscored by the Pacers in both quarters of the first half. In the second half, without Bosh, the Heat outscored the Pacers, 53-38.

In Bosh's absence, Mike Miller and Shane Battier both saw extended minutes, while LeBron James moved over to power forward. And it's actually a better lineup than you may think.

First of all, David West, a natural power forward, wasn't able punish James in the post offensively on Sunday, based on the Heat's ability to clog passing lanes and the fact that James is just as big and strong as West.

Secondly, both Miller and Battier showed they could play stifling defense against the Pacers' small forward Danny Granger in Game 1. Granger shot 1-of-10 from the floor, scoring a mere seven points. And while Miller didn't shoot well from the perimeter in Game 1, that may change. Miller shot 45 percent from downtown this season, and Bosh's absence doesn't change the fact that James and Dwyane Wade can still run pick-and-rolls, and Miller can still get open and knock down outside shots.

The Pacers are a solid team, as are the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. But neither of these teams can beat the Heat in a seven-game series, whether the Heat have Bosh or not.

Bosh's absence makes the Heat a weaker team, but the extent of their drop-off is greatly exaggerated. They may not win the title this season, but they should still be able to reach the NBA Finals.

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