Bosh effect can’t be overstated
Big man’s health status directly affects entire roster
To appreciate how much hangs in the balance for the Miami Heat when it comes to Chris Bosh’s status is to appreciate who it affects. Everybody. With 19 players under contract, with a maximum of 15 to make the regularseason roster, a case can be made that the ultimate outcome from Bosh’s twoseason struggle with blood clots could ripple through every corner of the roster that Pat Riley has rebuilt and Erik Spoelstra will coach.
For now, we wait . . . as do Bosh’s 18 teammates.
Hassan Whiteside: The Whiteside-Bosh chemistry (or lack thereof ) reached the point last season where White side was moved to the bench before Bosh eventually was lost at the All-Star break. Should Bosh return without limitations, the Heat could at least get a read on whether such cohesion is possible, considering it this time would come in the absence of Dwyane Wade. And if it still doesn’t work . . . well, Whiteside does become trade eligible Dec. 15. By contrast, if Bosh is out or limited, Whiteside figures to feel every bit of the pressure of his $98 million contract.
Justise Winslow: Should Bosh be unable to play at all, or only be able to play a limited schedule, does Wins low settle in at power forward as Riley indicated was the preference, or dowe again see him in an undersized power role like he played at the end of the postseason, and as converted small forward Luol Deng did over the second half of last season?
Goran Dragic: Without Bosh or with limited Bosh, the Heat figure to attempt to play at speed, especially with Wade’s half-court game removed fromthe equation. By contrast, it could be argued that Bosh has proven himself more effective with his deliberate half-court game with the Heat than Dragic has proven with his high-octane attack style. Of course, we also have yet to see the permutation of Bosh and Dragic without Wade.
Josh McRoberts/Luke Babbitt: With Bosh in the lineup, the approach figures to center around the use of a stretch four. If Bosh is limited in his schedule or his minutes or his travel, one option would be to go with the closest facsimile. McRoberts shoots 3-pointers. Babbitt shoots 3-pointers. Granted, neither rebounds nor defends like Bosh, but it could be an option to maintain continuity. By contrast, if Bosh does not play at all, or if he plays a regular allotment of games and minutes, the roles for McRoberts and Babbitt could be limited.
Josh Richardson/Tyler Johnson/ Dion Waiters/
Wayne Ellington/Beno Udrih: Spoelstra’s escape hatch typically has been small ball, dating to when the Heat lost Bosh during the 2012 playoffs on the way to the first of the franchise’s two Big Three championships. With no Bosh or Bosh in small doses, a guard-heavy roster figures to tilt toward the perimeter. By contrast, the complete Bosh could leave the Heat’s guards beyond Dragic scrambling for minutes.
Willie Reed/Udonis Haslem: With Bosh as much center as power forward in recent seasons, the approach in games Whiteside could miss would most likely be opening with Bosh in the middle. In the absence of Bosh, an injury or even foul trouble for Whiteside could open the door for Reed or Haslem to receive minutes that otherwise might be scarce or nonexistent.
Derrick Williams/ James Johnson: Put Bosh in the court on a regular basis and the rotation could be set mostly with returning players, with a potential opening lineup of Whiteside, Bosh, Winslow, Dragic
and perhaps either Richardson or Tyler, with one of the latter two otherwise to enter early off the bench alongside Waiters. That, right there, takes you seven deep, leaving limited minutes otherwise. But take Bosh out of the equation, and minutes could be there for one of the frontcourt newcomers.
Briante Weber/Rodney McGruder/Okaro White/ Stefan Jankovic: With Bosh back in the mix and the Heat able to field a competitive starting lineup, one that matches up favorably to any team in the East beyond the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors or Boston Celtics, the Heat figure to live in the moment. But without Bosh or with a limited Bosh, there might be more than a second glance at one of the younger prospects in camp.
So who on the roster does the Bosh situation impact entering camp?
Everybody.