Chris Bosh: Is There Anything He Can Do To Justify His Miami Heat Deal?
Chris Bosh knows the same thing Ben Parker told Spider-Man: with great power comes great responsibility.
When Bosh bolted Toronto to join LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami, he became forever burdened with the task of winning not just one but multiple NBA Championships.
Now, less than 30 games into the season, there are already questions about whether that burden is too much for Bosh to handle.
He's heard that he's not worth the contract he signed with the Heat. He's heard he'll continue to struggle as long as he's the third wheel.
But is true? Is Bosh robbing the Heat blind?
Well, let's take a look at both sides of the argument.
It's time to debate, and the topic at hand is whether or not Bosh can do anything to justify his contract with Miami.
5. Yes: Be More Consistent
1 of 11
Chris Bosh has in fact had some big performances this year, like against Atlanta on Dec. 4 (27 points, 10 rebounds) or against the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 17 (35 points, six rebounds, four assists).
But Bosh's problem is that he's just been too inconsistent.
He scored just 12 points and grabbed six rebounds the game before the Suns game, and he had just 15 points and five rebounds the game before the Hawks game.
Bosh has tended to do that all season, and that's obviously something that needs to change.
He had a three-game stretch in mid-November in which he averaged 21 points and nearly 12 rebounds per game.
That's the type of consistency the Heat want to see out of Bosh.
5. No: He's Down In Almost Every Major Category
2 of 11
Here are the areas where Chris Bosh has fallen off from the 2009-10 season to the 2010-11 season: blocks per game (1.0 to 0.7 per game), offensive rebounds (2.9 to 1.5), defensive rebounds (7.9 to 6.4), total rebounds (10.8 to 7.9), points (24.0 to 18.2) and field goal percentage (51.8 to 50.2).
Barring a major turnaround, Bosh will probably suffer setbacks in each of those categories by season's end.
And unless he does that, it's hard to justify paying him that much money.
4. Yes: Channel Amar'e Stoudemire
3 of 11
There was an interesting debate over the summer about which power forward was better, Chris Bosh or Amar'e Stoudemire.
Now Stoudemire obviously benefits from being the New York Knicks' top scoring option, but his recent play has caused some to think that he would have been the better fit in Miami.
Stoudemire's averaged 26.5 points and 9.4 rebound per game, and he recently put together a nice streak of nine straight games with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.
Bosh, on the other hand, only has one three-game streak of 20-10.
This is kind of like comparing apples and oranges here, but Stoudemire's been a beast this year.
And Bosh hasn't.
He needs to channel his inner Amar'a Stoudemire, and soon.
4. No: His Game Is Limited
4 of 11
If Chris Bosh has a bad game rebounding and/or scoring wise, then he isn't contributing much in other areas.
LeBron James adds 6.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists to his 24.5 points and lockdown defense.
Dwyane Wade contributes 4.2 assists and 6.5 rebounds to his 23.6 points and 1.5 steals per game.
But Bosh adds just 1.9 assists and 0.7 blocks per game, and he's a liability on the defensive end.
He can't affect the game without scoring quite like most of the NBA's elite players.
3. Yes: Pick Up The Slack For James and Bosh
5 of 11
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will have their off days, and that's when Chris Bosh becomes even more important to the Heat's success.
If James shoots 30 percent from the field or Wade scores just 13 points, who's going to pick up the slack for Miami?
It's not going to be Carlos Arroyo or Erick Dampier.
It'll be Chris Bosh.
He has to start being the go-to-guy when James and Wade struggle, because Miami won't win if that doesn't happen.
3. No: He's a Powerless Power Forward
6 of 11
Picture the Incredible Hulk. Now picture the exact opposite.
That's Chris Bosh.
He is as powerless of a power forward as they come.
Bosh is only called a power forward because he plays at the four, not because his skill set caters to that particular position.
He's as tall as some centers but his lanky frame caters more to the small forward position, and he gets dunked on by point guards (Rajon Rondo, anyone?).
Unless Bosh magically becomes a monster in the paint, he'll never be anything more than a powerless power forward.
Someone please plug him in.
2. Yes: Improve His Rebounding
7 of 11
In three of his final four seasons in Toronto, Chris Bosh averaged at least 10 rebounds per game and he averaged a career-high 10.8 rebounds during the 2009-10 season.
For his career Bosh has averaged 9.3 rebounds per game.
But in Miami Bosh has averaged just 7.9 rebounds and only has double-digit rebounds in eight of the team's 29 games.
If Bosh can up his rebounds to an absolutely minimum of nine per game--but preferably 10 or more--he'll be earning his money.
2. No: He'll Have To Be The Toronto Version of Bosh
8 of 11
Chris Bosh is making $14.5 million this year, which is way more than I'll make in my lifetime.
If he's going to justify making that type of money, he'll have to put up huge numbers every game, similar to what he did with the Toronto Raptors.
Scoring 18 points and grabbing 8 boards a night is good, but it's not $14.5 million good.
I'm talking at least 22/23 points and 10/11 rebounds per game.
Bosh doesn't contribute enough on the defensive end or dish out enough assists for him to be anything less than a surefire 20/10 guy night in and night out.
1. Yes: Continue Winning
9 of 11
Chris Bosh may not be dropping 30 points and 15 rebounds every night, but the Heat have now won 12 straight games dating back to Nov. 29.
Heat fans would rather see Bosh score only 10 points a game if it meant the team would go almost a month without losing.
After all, double-doubles aren't doing your team any good if the other team has scored more points when the final buzzer sounds.
Remember that 9-8 start? No one in Miami wants to see that ever again.
So as long as the Heat stay hot and Bosh at least contributes, he'll have done enough to avoid some of that harsh backlash.
1. No: Wade and James Won't Allow It
10 of 11
Unless LeBron James or Dwyane Wade go down with serious injuries, Chris Bosh will never be the team's No. 2 option.
No matter which way you slice it, Bosh will always be the third wheel as long as the Miami Thrice is together.
Wade will be the team's top scorer and a great defender, and James will play top notch defense and contribute in all aspects of the game.
Where does that leave Bosh? To scoop up whatever's left.
As long as he's on the same team with James and Wade--and making the same amount of money as them--it's a lose-lose situation.
Bosh will continue to be linked to them, and you don't need me to tell you that he's simply not as good of a player.
The Verdict: Is There Anything Chris Bosh Can Do To Justify His Miami Heat Deal?
11 of 11
Has Chris Bosh played as well this season as he did last year? No.
But was that expected? Yes.
Though his production wasn't supposed to drop off this much, it was, in fact, expected to suffer.
There were never any plans for Bosh to put up 25 points and 12 boards per game with the Miami Heat, because there's only ball on the court at a time.
But even with Bosh's production slipping, one thing takes priority above all else: winning.
And if the Heat can win an NBA title (and keep this winning streak going), it will at least partly be due to Bosh.
The Verdict: Yeah, keep getting W's.
