Carlos Boozer or Chris Bosh: Who Was the Better Pick for the Miami Heat?
As we watched the powerful Chicago Bulls dismantle Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in Game 1, many Heat fans had to ponder about what Miami would have been like if they had signed Carlos Boozer this offseason instead of Chris Bosh.
From the beginning of the season, it was obvious that Miami was weak in the middle. If Boston had kept Kendrick Perkins, they would have surely had a better chance of beating the Heat in the previous series. Perkins (inexplicably traded to the Oklahoma Thunder) provided the muscle in the middle that is so important in a short series.
Now facing off against the tough inside game of the Bulls, Miami, even after one game, looks very beatable. Being a game of match-ups, what players do Miami have to compete against the likes of Noah, Boozer and Taj (Gibson not Mahal)?
What if Miami would have taken Boozer instead of Bosh when they went out to create their Dream Team?
On paper, Bosh surely seems like a dream. With a career average of 20 points and nine rebounds per game, he brings an enormous amount of offense to any team. But, that is the last thing the LeBron-Wade based team needed. What they needed and will need going forward is power, height and toughness.
Enter Carlos Boozer.
In a league woefully light on power forwards and old-time enforcers, Boozer is a throw-back to a time when every good team had a guy who cared only about rebounds and defense.
In Boozer's case, he also brings a sweet shot and scoring capability. His career numbers (17 points and 10 rebounds per game) aren't bad either.
Even more, he was schooled under the toughest of tough guys—Jerry Sloan.
Boozer knows how to fight for position, for the ball and for his team (and one thing you don't want to do is get him angry).
He played like a man consumed by the desire to win in Game 1 and ultimately punished the Heat, who disdained him.
James and Wade can only hope that Boozer doesn't continue his tirade, otherwise, they can take Bosh and the rest of their weak-kneed team and head back to South Beach for the summer.
