Miami Heat and Erik Spoelstra in a Chris Bosh quagmire before Game 2 of the NBA Finals
The Miami Heat are still undecided about how they will use Chris Bosh in game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Coach Erik Spoelstra has been faced with that question ever since Bosh returned from injury in game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. Having to confine Bosh to limited minutes, Spoelstra decided to
start without him, and bring him in the rotation. The plan worked well for the Heat in the Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, but the Heat lost Game 1 against the Thunder with the same strategy.
With Game 2 crucial for the Heat if they want to win the series, Spoelstra is facing a tough decision.
Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Spoelstra said that it was not important whether Bosh started the game or not. What was important was that Bosh needed to be put in a position where he could play with aggression and contribute
to the success of the team.
Bosh suffered a strained lower abdominal muscle in Game 1 of the Eastern conference Semi Finals against the Indiana Pacers. Miami went on to lose the next two games but bounced back with three straight wins to qualify for the Conference
Finals.
Bosh eventually returned to the squad in Game 5 of the conference finals after an absence of 9 games. His return was supposed to spark the Heat as they were tied at two games apiece with the resilient Celtics. Bosh played off the
bench and only managed 14 minutes of playing time, including an absence from the entire of the 4th quarter. The Heat lost the game and Spoelstra was criticised for not playing Bosh in the final period.
Spoelstra gave Bosh extra minutes, but his performance and nobody’s for that matter, had much importance in Game 6 as LeBron James simply took over. Bosh finally had a big night in the Game 7 victory over the Celtics to advance
to the NBA Finals. Again coming off the bench, Bosh scored 19 points and was hot from beyond the arc. His play spread opened the Celtics defence and allowed LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to capitalize.
Happy with the rotations of game 7, coach Spoelstra decided not to start Bosh for Game 1 of the NBA Finals as well. He did not need to worry about the opening of the game as Miami have a habit of opening the game strong. They did
so in the game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and led by 7 at halftime.
However, the Thunder came back in the 2nd half and Bosh failed to make an impression on the game, scoring only 10 points and never threatening the Thunder team.
Now Spoelstra needs to make the important decision of whether to start him or to play him off the bench, as he attempts to find Bosh in a role where he can regain his confidence and rhythm and be aggressive for the team.
Tags: