MIAMI -- Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra suggested a new role for Chris Bosh this season.
"We talked about it, but his talking is always, 'New role,' and that's it," Bosh said. "He gives me the opportunity to figure it out for myself. Which is always better.
"I think I'm intelligent enough to figure it out. It might take a whole year, a whole season, but as long as we have a chance to compete for a championship that's all that matters for me."
Bosh scored 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting in little more than 20 minutes of Miami's preseason-opening 92-87 victory against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.
"He came out aggressive. It was good to see," Spoelstra said. "He wasn't trying to pace himself or work himself into a flow. He just had a very aggressive mentality out there. I liked it."
It's hard to imagine a new role for Bosh, whose already displays the ability of filling positions Nos. 1-5.
"He's positionless offensively, he's become positionless defensively," Spoelstra said. "We talk about LeBron (James) being 1-5. Chris in many situations for us has turned out to be 1-5.
"He has so many different areas on the floor where we expect him to be efficient offensively. He's getting more comfortable each year. Obviously, the more aggressive he is, the better for us. He's a natural facilitator, so you can offense through him all the time."
Bosh said his coach was being nice with the "natural facilitator" tag but didn't think it really applied.
"It just happens in the flow of a game. Sometimes I can see things before they happen," Bosh said. "I'm not big and fast like LeBron, but just seeing so many games over the course of my career you can get that sixth sense and kind of know when things are going to happen.
"I try to watch more and more basketball so, hopefully one day, I can get to the genius level and be like 10 plays ahead."
The 6-foot-11 Bosh admitted contributing from various spots on the floor is not easy.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to it," he said. "It's just something, that until I'm done playing, it'll always be a challenge every year."
Charlie McCarthy can be reached at mac1763@bellsouth.net or on Twitter @mccarthy_chas.
