I have heard and read a lot of opinions the last couple days on what Chris Bosh’s abdominal strain means to the Miami Heat. But I have yet to see someone express the same view as mine: I think the absence of Bosh will have no effect on the Heat’s success whatsoever. They may win the title, they may lose to the Pacers this round, but I think the outcome will be the same with or without Bosh. I know they went 4-5 without him this season. I know their other bigs are terrible and their bench is very thin. But honestly the only player who really matters for Miami is Lebron James.
In 2009 the Cavs finished an NBA best 66-16. The next best player on that team was… Mo Williams? Zydrunas Ilgauskas? Anderson Varejao? Sasha Pavlovic? Ok, maybe not Sasha, but Cleveland was just a team featuring Lebron and a bunch of other regular NBA players. They lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to an Orlando squad that got crazy hot hitting threes. The following year Lebron and a similarly mediocre roster again had the best record in the league (59-23), but they lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to Boston when he seemed lost and disinterested for half the series (possibly because one of his teammates was sleeping with his mom). And finally last year, in the first post “decision” season in Miami, Lebron and the Heat made it to the NBA Finals. However “King” James put forth one of the worst playoff series any superstar has ever had, and Miami lost the championship to Dallas.
My point is this: Lebron and any four average NBA players have the talent to win the title. But for whatever reason up to this point he has been unable to get it done. Whether it happens this year or not has everything to do with him and very little to do with the health of Chris Bosh.
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About Mark Vandeusen