NBA Playoffs 2012: With or Without Chris Bosh, LeBron James Must Win Title

The pressure continues to mount for LeBron James, doesn't it?

Since high school, LeBron has lived under a bright microscope of scrutiny and high expectations. He was immediately labeled "The Chosen One" after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron brought legitimacy to the Cleveland franchise, winning two MVP trophies, five straight playoff appearances and playing in the 2007 NBA Finals. He never brought a championship to Cleveland, but it would be foolish to say that LeBron's time as a Cavalier was a failure.

The pressure rose even more when King James took his talents to South Beach, joining forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami and creating the new powerhouse of the Eastern Conference. With zero championship rings earned in Cleveland, LeBron made the infamous promise to win "not one, not two, not three"—you remember how it went.

After the Heat—especially LeBron—came up short in last year's finals, getting upset by the Dallas Mavericks, pressure and expectations were on the incline for this season. Miami cruised through the regular season, and LeBron won his third MVP award, averaging 27.1 points, 6.2 assists and 7.9 rebounds a game.

Now, with the playoffs underway, Miami has hit a road block: Chris Bosh fell casualty to an abdominal strain in Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers. And yet again, the pressure and expectations fall on the shoulders of LeBron.

Bosh's inside defensive presence and ability as a more-than-reliable third scoring option is a huge loss for the Heat. Bosh often found himself wide open for 15-foot jump shots that he frequently knocked down. The Miami forward also has a dangerous face-up game, with one of the league's best pump fakes, and the ability to drive the lane and find contact or a layup.

Regardless of Bosh's absence, LeBron must finally begin to live up to his promise of multiple championships, starting right now.

When Dwyane Wade handed the team over to LeBron (from the Miami Herald), the scrutiny shifted in the direction of the three-time MVP.

Wade will also continue to get a pass for Miami Heat's downfalls, as he led his team to a historic championship run against the Mavericks in 2006. But Miami is no longer "Wade County" after this season. The Heat are in LeBron's hands, and they will go as he goes from here on out.

LeBron is reminiscent of Tom Brady or Peyton Manning in the NBA. All three of these prolific athletes have made a living of taking average players and turning them into valuable pieces of their franchise. In Cleveland, LeBron turned players like Daniel Gibson and Leon Powe into reliable offensive weapons. Nothing has changed in Miami, with options like Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem. None of those players are stars offensively, but they all play sound team defense and are reliable offensive threats playing with LeBron.

James didn't have the star-studded team players in Cleveland that he has now in Miami.

He is also unquestionably the most physically gifted athlete in NBA history. It didn't take LeBron's transfer to Miami to win a ring, because he's well capable as the superstar catalyst of the team.

If Miami falls short again this season, the absence of Chris Bosh will be the focal point of conversation. Ironic, considering Bosh earned a label of a "soft" player (as well as the infamous Bosh Spice nickname). His value to Miami will be put on notice if the Heat don't win a championship. It's not fair to play both sides of the fence, right?

It's time to stop letting King James off the hook. Even without Bosh in the lineup, this is still the best team in the Eastern Conference. The Miami role players have bought into their assignments and have flourished since LeBron came to the team. Miami should still make it to the NBA Finals and make a strong push to the title. If this doesn't happen, it will again fall on LeBron, bringing more suspicion to his guarantee of winning not one, not two, not three—well, you understand.