5 Reasons Why Chris Bosh Is Thriving at Center for the Miami Heat

Chris Bosh finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds on 71 percent shooting from the field in the Miami Heat's 113-110 win over the Houston Rockets.

It marked the third game in a row that Bosh has totaled at least 22 points.

Since opening this season at the center position for the Heat, Bosh is averaging 20.9 points per game on over 56 percent shooting from the field. These numbers up from the 18 points on 48 percent from the field that he averaged last year. 

As the season goes on, Bosh will continue to thrive at the center position.

He is the most versatile basketball player in the NBA currently listed at center. He has the ability to get himself open against opposing centers and score from the paint as well as the perimeter.

Bosh is also knocking down his free throws at a career-high pace while holding his own defensively.

Chris Bosh Is the Most Versatile Center in the NBA

Roy Hibbert was an All-Star center last season for the Indiana Pacers. He was able to earn that title by excelling at the center position specifically.

Chris Bosh is currently excelling at all phases of the game for the Miami Heat from the center position. There's a difference.

Bosh has the ability to play positions 3 through 5 in the NBA, where guys like Hibbert simply don't.

Traditionally a power forward, who can step out and score from the perimeter, Bosh could play the small forward position too if needed in addition to playing center.

He is able to put the ball on the floor and beat his man to the basket. He can also score from the painted area out of a post-up position, along with finishing at the rim and knocking down jump shots. 

A full range of versatile skills that Bosh has on display right now for the Heat this season.

Bosh Is the Best Jump-Shooting Center in the League

Bosh opened this season by connecting on 74 percent of his attempts 16-23 feet away from the basket through six games.

He had been making three out of every four shots he took from that distance.

This has helped Bosh post an overall field-goal percentage through eight games that would be a career high if the season ended today. He's making 57 percent of his shot attempts right now, which is ridiculously efficient. 

The four shots per game he's taking from 16-23 feet are daring opposing bigs to come out and defend him in space.

He is making a higher percentage of those attempts from the center position because he is being left more open than he has been in the past. 

When that jump shot is challenged, Bosh is then finding his way to the basket off the dribble. 

Chris Bosh Is Finishing at the Rim with an Improved Efficiency

Chris Bosh opened this season at the center position by converting 74.2 percent of his attempts at the rim.

This number is an eight percent improvement over last year. Bosh is also taking more attempts from that distance this year to get there as well.  

By creating additional space against slower centers, Chris has been able to find more open scoring opportunities in the painted area.

He is currently averaging the most points he has overall since leaving the Toronto Raptors as a result.

Bosh Is Holding His Own Defensively

In the first eight games this season, Chris Bosh is yet to be outscored by an opposing center.

He has scored more points than the starting center in seven of those first eight. Against the Denver Nuggets, Bosh outscored Kosta Koufas and JaVale McGee by a combined total of 40-18.

In a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Chris did his part by outscoring Marc Gasol 22-2.

Bosh has also improved statistically in terms of blocks and steals from the center position.

The 1.1 blocks and one steal per game he is currently averaging are both more than he did last season in each category. 

Chris Bosh Is Hitting Free Throws Like He's Mark Price

If you can't defend Dwight Howard in the painted area, it's best to just go ahead and foul him. Same was true with Shaquille O'Neal and many other centers before him.

But if you foul Chris Bosh, he will make you pay for it.

Through eight games, Bosh has made 87.5 percent of his free-throw attempts this year.

He's an 80 percent free-throw shooter for his career, but this start is exceptional, even for him.

He's made 42 of the first 48 free throws he's attempted. If he keeps this pace up, he could lead the NBA in this category by the end of the year.

From the center position.

Something Dwight and Shaq could never even dream of accomplishing.