After he saw his previous season end prematurely due to a blood clot in his lung, Bosh was given clearance to return to the court for the start of the 2015-16 campaign. Bosh showed little rust during the first half of the season, averaging 19.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 three-pointers in 33.5 minutes per game. However, trouble set in around the All-Star break, when Bosh was diagnosed with a recurrence of the clot, this time in his left calf. Bosh was adamant about returning to the Heat for their playoff run, but since he would have had to remain on blood-thinning medication, doctors were unwilling to clear him. With two setbacks related to blood clots, it appeared that Bosh's career might be in jeopardy, but the 32-year-old hinted at various points throughout the offseason that he'd return to the court in 2016-17. While the Heat initially seemed optimistic about a return as well, the team issued a statement prior to training camp that Bosh had failed his physical and that he would remain out indefinitely. The 11-time All-Star's relationship with the organization has dramatically deteriorated in light of their refusal to clear him, and it's likely that he's played his last game with the Heat. Bosh still insists that he wants to play again, but it's unlikely that he'll be able to pursue an opportunity elsewhere until March 1, when the Heat would first be able to waive Bosh in order for him to be ineligible for the playoffs. Bosh is fraught with risk from a health standpoint, so it's possible no team would be willing to sign him once he becomes a free agent. With all that in mind, it's hard to justify drafting Bosh in any format.
Bosh entered the 2014-15 season with the expectation that he would be the leading man following the departure of LeBron James to the Cavs and Bosh's signing of a five-year, max contract to stay with the Heat. Bosh averaged 21.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range in 35 minutes per game before an unexpected blood clot in his lung cut his season short after just 44 games. Statistically, it was Bosh's best season since his final one with Toronto, and so long as health permits, the 13-year man out of Georgia Tech is expected to have similar production this season. Bosh continues to take strides with his outside touch, as he is not only shooting more three-pointers but also making more three-pointers. Last season, he shot an average of 3.8 three-pointers per game and made 1.4 of them, both being career-highs by far. This season, the presence of Hassan Whiteside will likely move Bosh back to the power forward spot, but that shouldn't change Bosh's role too much, as he will still serve as a floor spacer on offense and a solid interior defender on the other end, while playing heavy minutes.
Bosh flirted with leaving Miami in the offseason but ultimately decided to stay with the Heat for his 12th season and accepted a five-year deal worth $118 million. As his contract should denote, the 30-year-old is in line to take on a larger role with the team after the infamous departure of LeBron James from South Beach back to Cleveland this offseason. Last season, Bosh played in 79 games and averaged 16.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steal, 1.0 block, and 0.9 three-pointers in 32 minutes per game. However, with the new roster in Miami, Bosh will have a golden opportunity to revert back to his days in Toronto when his averages were considerably higher in all categories except for three-pointers. Potential roadblocks in this happening are how much Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng will be able to contribute throughout the course of the season. In addition to this, the comparable skills of Josh McRoberts, who has his career on the upturn, may be able to take some pressure and offensive possessions off of Bosh's plate. Nevertheless, the former Georgia Tech standout is capable of contributing in all categories and should have an exciting season in front of him as a vital player for the Heat organization and fantasy teams.
While Bosh remained the Heat's third option last season, the team's added depth, and the continued excellence of LeBron James, resulted in arguably one of the worst statistical seasons of Bosh's career. He saw his usage rate dip to 22.7 percent – his lowest rate since his sophomore season in 2004-05 – resulting in drops in scoring (16.6), rebounding (6.8) and assists (1.7). The 29-year-old did manage to offset those dips in production by hitting a career-high 54 percent of his field-goal attempts and matching a personal best with 1.4 blocks per game. Long gone are the days of Bosh being able to carry a fantasy squad with elite-level production, and his rebounding numbers in particular leave a lot to be desired, but he's still an efficient big man who offers up a good roto game.
Through his first two years in Miami, Bosh averaged 18.7 points/8.3 rebounds (2010-11) and 18.0 points/7.9 rebounds (2011-12). The days of Bosh averaging 20-plus points are over--that’s something we expected. But with the lack of depth in Miami’s frontcourt, he would seem to be a shoo-in for 10-plus boards, and it’s hard to understand why he’s struggled to average double-digit rebounds. When healthy at the end of the season, and during the playoffs, Bosh was being used as the Heat’s starting center, and their lack of aggression in acquiring a center this offseason has lead many to speculate that Bosh will serve as the team’s full-time starting center next season. If that is the case, Bosh should be kept closer to the basket and would be in position to collect more consistent rebounds. Health-wise, Bosh missed some time in the playoffs because of an abdomen injury, but that’s not expected to be a problem for the upcoming season.
As expected, Bosh’s fantasy value took a hit after he opted to join LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in South Beach. After averaging career bests in scoring (24.0) and rebounding (10.8) during his final season with the Raptors, Bosh’s production dropped to 18.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in his first campaign with the Heat. The drop in scoring wasn’t a surprise, but Bosh’s failure to step up or at least match his past production on the glass hurt fantasy owners who figured him a lock for double-digit boards. He also regressed on the defensive end of the court, blocking a career-worst 0.6 shots per game. That said, Bosh’s drop in production last year was disappointing mainly because of his draft-day cost. Now that owners have a better idea of what to expect in Miami, his still useful contributions make him a solid all-around option at power forward.
Bosh was the ninth-leading scorer in the league in 2009-10. This season, he'll have to share the ball with number two and number five on that list. Does playing with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade mean Bosh will have to sacrifice his individual numbers? Possibly – but that's far from a lock. The Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce/Ray Allen Celtics are probably the best parallel to Miami's new dream team, and Garnett's numbers took a notable dive when he arrived in Boston. But KG was past his prime at that point; Bosh is just 26 and entering his. And both James and Wade are able – and willing – passers who will be able to get Bosh easy baskets with alarming regularity. Maybe losing alpha dog status means he misses out on a few attempts, but adds a few points to his already-healthy shooting percentage (.518 last season) and gets him to the line even more (8.4 attempts in 2009-10). And remember, Bosh isn't just a scorer – he averaged just under 11 boards per game last season – sixth in the league – and just under a block per game – a number that could be on the rise given Pat Riley's belief in a strong defense.
Bosh has basically been the same player in each of the past four seasons, though last year was the first time he managed to play in more than 70 games since 2004-05. He’s more wiry than powerful, but there are also no real weaknesses in Bosh’s game, and few power forwards who stand at 6-10, 230 can match ability while facing the basket. Since he’s also center-eligible in some formats and coming off a second half of last season in which he averaged 22.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.2 blocks, Bosh is an extremely valuable commodity. The addition of Hedo Turkoglu should only open up the floor, and Andrea Bargnani’s emergence makes the Raptors a sneaky team offensively, especially with Jose Calderon running the point. Last year Bosh was the only player in the NBA to average double-digit rebounds, shoot better than 80.0 percent from the free-throw line and record at least one block per game.
Seems like every team in the NBA is clearing cap space to take a run at LeBron James or Dwyane Wade after the 2010 season. As things stand today, Bosh will be available at the same time – and he’d be a pretty nice “get” as well. The centerpiece of a Toronto team that made a surprising run to the top of the Atlantic Division in 2006-07 before coming back to earth with a .500 record and sixth seed last season, Bosh has averaged more than 22 points per game for three straight years despite spending a significant amount of time out of position at center. This year, the Raptors are hoping the acquisition of Jermaine O’Neal will permit Bosh to shift to his natural position of power forward. Working against guys his own size may help Bosh’s games played stat as well – he’s missed a minimum of 12 games per season for the last three years due to a variety of injuries.
Bosh emerged as a fantasy cornerstone last season, officially with career-high averages of 22.6 points and 10.7 boards. He’s the centerpiece of an exciting young offense in Toronto, where former Phoenix GM Bryan Colangelo is now in year two of his plan to recreate the Suns success north of the border. The Raptors’ offense is, like the Suns’, high scoring and fantasy friendly with pass-first point guards that focus on setting up the team with easy shots. The only negative with Bosh is his health; he has missed at least 12 games in each of the past two years due to injury and is currently battling plantar fasciitis in his foot. But if he can stay healthy, he is one of the most exciting young forwards in the NBA.
Bosh started five games at center for the Raptors last season, and that may be enough to qualify for the position in many leagues. He’s far and away the No. 1 option on offense in Toronto, and there’s no reason he shouldn’t be. For the second consecutive season in 2005-06, Bosh scored more points, rebounded more misses, assisted more baskets, all while shooting better from the field and 81.6 percent from the free throw line. He can score from in close or at mid-range, but he also runs the floor well, which will come in handy with this year’s up tempo model. General manager Bryan Colangelo is building this team in the image of the Suns, so look for a lot of possessions and more shots in transition for Bosh. Of some concern, however, is that Bosh struggled to find minutes this summer on the U.S. team because he didn’t take well to Mike D’Antoni’s offense.
Nearly lost in the awful 2004-05 season for the Raptors was the emergence of Bosh as a budding NBA star. Bosh, still just 21 years old, averaged 16.8 points and 8.9 rebounds for the year, but got even better as the year went on and he grew more comfortable with his role, averaging 19.1 points and 9.7 boards after January 1. He shoots well enough, hitting 47% from the field and 76% from the line, and chips in with a steal and about a block and a half per game. Bosh is a dynamic leaper who should only continue to improve, particularly if the Raptors can use players like Aaron Williams and Charlie Villanueva to keep opposing centers off him. (Bosh has a wiry frame and takes a lot of punishment in the middle). Bosh is
locked up through 2007, and has had a great attitude so far, but one wonders if he'll eventually take the VC/T-Mac train out of town and onto a winner.
He was miscast as a center, but that didn’t stop him from putting up 11.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game as a rookie. If the Raptors have luxury of moving him to PF he could be in line for a big production jump, but even at C we expect him to see modest bumps, to possibly 14.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 1.7 BPG. The key thing to watch will be his health though. Bosh missed seven games last year with minor injuries, but if his skinny frame is slammed around under the paint once again he could start to come up lame.
Bosh isn't likely to be an impact rookie, as the Raptors have enough depth up front to give him time to learn the ropes. Look for him to have some fantasy usefulness next season.
