LeBron James: Does the Chris Bosh Injury Give Him a Pass?

LeBron James scored 32 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and dished out five assists. Dwyane Wade scored 29 points and passed out four assists. The Miami Heat came back from a halftime deficit to defeat the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 96-85. Then James and Wade provided a few big punches, but couldn't land a haymaker in Game 2, as the Heat lost 78-75.

However, the biggest takeaway from this series has been the injury to Chris Bosh. After 13 points and five rebounds in the first half of Game 1, he suffered an abdominal strain on a driving dunk in the second quarter. He didn’t return to the game.

I’ve seen many people question the Heat’s chances after the injury, and the concern is somewhat valid. Yes, Bosh is the most skilled of the Heat’s big men. However, is he the key to winning a playoff series against the Pacers? I don’t believe so.

This is the moment where LeBron James and Dwyane Wade prove they are two of the top-five players in the league, not only individually, but together.

However, new question has emerged: If Miami doesn’t win this year’s championship, given the unknown timetable for Bosh’s return, will LeBron deserve a pass?

The answer is pretty complicated, as it is a yes and no.

Yes, he will deserve a pass because his team will not be at full strength from this point on. Israel Gutierrez, appearing on ESPN’s First Take, bought up the point that if the Spurs lost Manu Ginobili, Thunder lost James Harden, or Lakers lost Pau Gasol, the expectations for those respective teams would drop. I agree with that notion.

Yes, he supremely talented. However, even the greatest players of all time needed a lot of help to succeed. With his team already at a disadvantage in the frontcourt, Bosh is someone you can’t afford to lose.

The ultimate answer is no, though; he will not receive a pass. LeBron didn’t come to Miami for his legacy to be tied to the health of Bosh. If he doesn’t win the championship but plays as he is known to play, it will lessen the blow of another year with no championship, but not much.

This is the predicament LeBron has put himself in. He is no longer competing against his contemporaries; he’s going up against the best and cannot afford another strike on his record. Because of that, every year he doesn't win that championship pushes him further down the list of greats.

The question now becomes how bad does he want it? Can he finally clear those mental hurdles and raise that trophy in mid- to late June? As of now, he hasn’t but there is silver lining: He has time. He’s 27. Michael Jordan didn’t win his first until he was 28. No pressure.