NBA Rumors: Would the Miami Heat Really Consider Trading Chris Bosh?
Chris Bosh is a terrific player, no question. He is a top-15 player in the NBA, and one of the better scoring power forwards in the league.
However, after a sluggish start to the Miami Heat season, Bosh's abilities and performances have been harshly criticized, and rightly so.
But is he what the Miami Heat need in a power forward/center type of player? NBA fans and experts have been debating whether or not Chris Bosh is a "max contract" caliber player, and the answer is quite simple.
To the Miami Heat, Chris Bosh is not worth a max contract, but to his former team, the Toronto Raptors, he would be.
It's not financially smart to have your third best player be worth a max contract, even if your third best player is someone as talented as Chris Bosh.
The production Chris Bosh will give the Miami Heat does not warrant the contract he received this summer, when he joined fellow NBA all stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in South Beach.
With all the talent on the court for the Heat at any given time, Bosh's touches will be limited, especially when he's playing with two players who constantly need the ball to score and create for others (James and Wade).
Bosh will get most of his offense from offensive rebounds, and easy layups when his man leaves him and double teams a teammate.
Heat president Pat Riley should have looked at an alternative to Bosh at the power forward. For the money he is paying Bosh, Riley could have gotten two or maybe three quality big men to add depth to the Heat front line.
Notable big men who would have given Miami defense and rebounding on a consistent basis were ready to be signed this summer, yet Riley was too concerned about his new "Big Three."
Shaquille O'Neal, Brad Miller, Drew Gooden, Carlos Boozer, and Jermaine O'Neal were all free agents this season, and the Heat could have signed two or even three of these players for the price of Chris Bosh.
In Miami's early season losses, the two most glaring issues have been the lack of production from the center and point guard positions. Joel Anthony and Carlos Arroyo are decent players, but they aren't guys that championship caliber teams can depend on.
Trading Chris Bosh would allow the Heat to add to their depth in the frontcourt, and at point guard. I understand trading Bosh would be difficult for many reasons, and not solely because of the dollars involved.
Trading him would probably damage him mentally more than anything else, but the Heat need to move on.
The season is not even half over, but it's clear that the defensive problems that Miami is having are not going away.
Opposing big men and elite point guards are killing the Heat.
Every team Miami would likely face in the playoffs have at least one great forward/center and a great point guard. Boston, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Chicago, and Orlando all have quality bigs and guards.
The Heat have an opportunity to be a dominant team throughout the most of this decade, but they need to construct a more balanced team to compete with the likes of Boston and the Lakers.
Carlos Arroyo cannot contain guards like Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose, which has caused the Heat to have LeBron James defend the opposing point guard.
This puts the Heat in a really bad spot because now LeBron James' man is being defended by someone likely not used to covering small forwards.
For example, when LeBron is forced to guard Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen become more effective because they often have a mismatch at the offensive end of the floor.
Chris Bosh is a tremendous player, but his worth and value were overrated this summer, and now the Heat are paying for their mistake.
Pat Riley is a very smart basketball mind, and trading Chris Bosh for a better solution at center and point guard is the best way to improve his basketball team.
The center and point guard positions are the two most important parts of every championship team, and without either, you certainly don't stand a chance come June.
