Will Chris Bosh's Injury Save Erik Spoelstra's Job?

"Championship or bust" has been the mindset for the Miami Heat since LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade, but Bosh's abdominal muscle injury will buy Erik Spoelstra another year to get the job done.

NBA fans were shocked in the summer of 2010 when all three All-Stars signed for the Heat, and many asked, "How can they NOT win a championship?"

After a dysfunctional Game 3 performance against the Indiana Pacers where Bosh was sorely missed, it seems that the only two forces powerful enough to stop the "big three" are injuries and Dirk Nowitzki.

Last season, Nowitzki's insanely productive postseason was enough for Pat Riley to give Spoelstra a pass for failing to secure a ring in his first year with James and Bosh.

Now, the injury Bosh suffered in Game 1 against the Pacers will be provide one more mulligan.

Riley did not build such a sterling reputation without facing reality, and the truth is that the Heat have very little to work with outside Wade, James and Bosh. This is especially true in the frontcourt.

Here are Miami's available big men now that Bosh is out indefinitely:

• Joel Anthony
• Udonis Haslem
• Ronny Turiaf
• Juwan Howard
• Dexter Pittman

This is not a very impressive list, and none of these players would be starters for the majority of teams across the league. 

With so few options, it's only reasonable for Riley to give Spoelstra another chance to go for a title with a full team. 

The changes Spoelstra implemented in the abbreviated offseason turned the Heat into a turnover-creating machine and allowed James and Wade to flourish in the fast break.

Spoelstra has been creative and open-minded in his approach with this team. Getting James and Wade to co-exist on the court is not as easy as it may seem, as the players have nearly identical offensive games.

The changes that the young coach has made have led to improvements, but the setback caused by Bosh's injury is too much to overcome.

If Riley is going to give Spoelstra a fair shake, he should bring him back for one more year, regardless of the Heat's finish in this year's playoffs.