Bosh, Wade deliver at All-Star level, but health holding back Heat
The Miami Heat were supposed to be able to compete in the wide-open Eastern Conference despite losing LeBron James primarily because they had retained perennial All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Despite being robbed of precious time in free agency to go after an impactful free agent such as Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry because of James' lengthy decision-making process, Heat president Pat Riley managed to compliment his star duo with a playmaking big man in Josh McRoberts and versatile swingman Luol Deng. In addition to retaining important components of the championship teams including Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen, skilled veterans Danny Granger and Shawne Williams would add depth to a bench featuring promising young talent like James Ennis and Shabazz Napier.
Minutes into training camp, however, McRoberts' back would go out. According to Bosh, that was the one and only time the team was ever whole.
"We're bit by something," Bosh said. "It hurts. The most disappointing thing is that we're not even having a chance to be at full strength. To even see what we can do. It doesn't even have to be 100 percent but to at least have most of our guys. It just seems like every time it looks like we're about to turn a corner there's a drawback.
"While we're having one part play well, we can't even get the other half on the court, let alone play well. It's just so disappointing and difficult not to be at full-strength, or at least 75 percent. We don't have room for injuries. Nobody is getting in rhythm and we're dealing with the consequences."
Despite the unexpected mid-season emergence of Hassan Whiteside to pair along with Wade and Bosh who have been playing at their usual All-Star level, it still hasn't resulted in a winning record with Miami eight games away from .500 in a conference with eight other teams owning losing records.
That's largely because Heat players have collectively lost over 100 games due to injury heading into the All-Star break. The projected starting lineup of Norris Cole, Wade, Deng, McRoberts and Bosh only started two games together and played a total of 34 minutes. Even the adjusted lineup of Chalmers, Wade, Deng, Bosh and Whiteside has only been on the floor for 28 minutes.
Feel-good victories such as against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day or when Wade, Bosh and Whiteside joined forces to beat the Chicago Bulls on the road on Jan. 25 are overshadowed by perplexing losses to the Philadelphia 76ers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Many teams and stars are also battling injuries at an alarming rate in the NBA, but through all the Heat's troubles, Bosh and Wade have each played well under the circumstances and have comfortably handled the increased responsibilities and workload they assumed with James gone.
Wade earned his 11th All-Star selection after averaging a team-leading 21.4 points and 5.4 assists per game. His player efficiency rating of 22.4 ranks 11th in the league ahead of fellow All-Stars Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies), Jeff Teague (Atlanta Hawks), Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs), and Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks).
His silky-smooth jumper and crafty moves to the basket remain as timeless as ever, and his renewed focus as a playmaker has only enhanced his all-around game. Though he has been out a significant time because of his balky hamstrings, he has missed just one game because of another injury without participating in a maintenance plan like he did last season or any restriction in minutes.
Bosh has handled his new role on the team smoothly in a hybrid role somewhere between his leading-man days with the Toronto Raptors and his expanded game that was developed during the Big 3 era. The 3-point shot that he has worked on during his time in Miami is now a genuine threat that helps opens up the rest of his offensive repertoire, with his 63 made baskets from beyond the arc leading the team and just 11 away from his career-high total last season. He's right behind Wade in scoring, with 21.1 points per game and is second on the team with 7.0 rebounds. Miami has won six of the seven games he has scored 30 or more points.
Wade made a wise decision to be patient and save himself for another week to heal and be ready to help lead Miami in a renewed push to the playoffs through the final 30 games of the season. With so little going according to plan so far, it's too early to say the team will be back on track, especially after yet another deflating loss Wednesday -- to James and his Cleveland Cavaliers, no less -- before the nine-day break.
But there is undoubtedly a lot of potential between the two All-Stars combined with the continued progress of Whiteside along with Deng, who appears more comfortable with each passing game and has reached double-figures in scoring in nine of his last 10 games.
The new-look roster has been stretched thin and the Heat's success is as dependent as ever on the All-Star level production from Bosh and Wade. Perhaps that's the only part of the Heat's initial plan with this roster that remains the same.
You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.
