Last season, the HEAT suffered many injuries and missed the playoffs after going to the NBA Finals the year before. Coming into a new season, there were many concerns about injuries and how the players would get back into the flow of things on the court. This concern wasn’t only for Chris Bosh, but also for Josh McRoberts. In the first few games, fans may have been concerned about production both, but the past few games have shown a different side of the story with Bosh leading the way.
Against the Raptors, Bosh put up 29 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, but we’ve seen numbers like this from Bosh come and go. The question now was could he continue with this momentum. On Tuesday night against the Lakers, Bosh came out on the court and once again dominated. He finished with 30 points and 11 rebounds, and he found his stroke from beyond the arc. Let’s not forget McRoberts. Spoelstra seems to like a lineup the includes Bosh and McRoberts on at the same time. We saw it against the Timberwolves, Raptors and again against the Lakers.
So, are the injuries of last season a concern for Spoelstra or the rest of the team? Spoelstra definitely doesn’t feel that way.
“The thing I like about it is that he’s been putting in a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes….You see him everyday….He’s the last guy to leave typically. Getting in shots before and after practice really working it, and continued to trust the process when the shot wasn’t going. There will be ups and downs, but he kept on working at it. He does so many other things too, the voice, his leadership, commanding guys out on the court, that’s more vital than how well he’s shooting.”
Spoelstra stressed that the HEAT is more concerned about figuring out the best lineup for the team, regardless of what combination of 5 guys they decide to use. This has definitely been evident in the way he was substituted players since the beginning of the season. On any given night, just about every player listed as active is getting playing time. The team is in obviously in a stage where they are trying to figure out where each guy fits in, but Bosh of late seems to be coming into himself. Not to mention, Bosh and Hassan Whiteside on the court together are showing a much more physical HEAT team than we have seen in quite some time.
Critics have always questioned whether Bosh can be the main guy for the HEAT, and when the organization gave him the max contract during free agency, many questioned the decision by Riley. Bosh has come to a point where he definitely wants to prove the doubters wrong. While many NBA fans always question the legitimacy of the Eastern Conference compared to the Western Conference, the December schedule should give most answers. The Heat start the month with the Thunder, Cavaliers, Wizards and then Hornets. If Bosh and company can come out swinging, then maybe we can start believing that the HEAT have a legitimate chance of playoff success. As long as Bosh’s numbers remain consistent, it may be time to stop doubting his ability to lead the franchise.