Heat vs. Thunder Game 1 Highlights: Chris Bosh Must Step Up for Miami to Win
As solidly as Chris Bosh played in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, he was the weakest link in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Heat need him to be super in this series to defeat the high-powered Thunder.
Last night, Bosh was just 4-11 from the field for 10 points and five rebounds. It wasn't just the mediocre offense that hurt the team; it was more so his lackadaisical defense. Bosh was routinely late on rotations, and he was caught playing the ball too aggressively.
In the second half, he made it easy for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to break down the Heat's defense. Interior defense is Miami biggest deficiency, but Bosh must step up on this end to hide this weakness. He did a poor job of that in Game 1.
Check out the highlights here, specifically at 3:18 and 4:12 of this highlight video:
I don't place the entire blame on Bosh, some of this also falls on Erik Spoelstra. Bosh needs more touches on the offensive end. He's a big man, and to keep a big man engaged on both ends of the floor he has to get touches. That is especially the case for a big man that can score like Bosh.
Relegating him to a spot-up three-point shooter's role isn't enough for him.
Bosh has a post-up game, as well as the ability to thrive in the pick-and-pop scenario. Jeff Van Gundy said this last night, and I agree, the Heat need to consider running the offense through Bosh on some trips.
It would give the Thunder a different look, and it would get Bosh into the game. The Heat had this game, and they let it slip away. They must rebound with a strong effort in Game 2 to seize control of the series. Bosh's energy and skill will be needed to get this down.
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