NBA Power Rankings: All 30 Starting Centers

8.  Chris Bosh — Miami Heat

The prehistoric species featured in a trilogy decided to clone it’s latest generation into the NBA.

That’s perfectly fine, only if a dinosaur’s production on the court has rightfully backed his 4th overall draft selection in 2003.  11 years into Bosh’s career, it surely has … for the most part.  Bosh’s abnormal transition through ups and downs has only  been through role changes, not statistical movement or efficiency downfalls.

Name me another top five pick that’s ever wen through the roller coaster of being a superstar No. 1 option, to the butt end of a Big 3, and then all the way back to the most lucrative part of a team.  In this sense, you can take “lucrative” by two different meanings.

For one, he’s the healthiest member of Miami’s starting core, and thinking he shouldn’t be Spoelstra’s first option next season would be vile judgment.  Dwyane Wade could enter training camp completely ready to go for an 82-game journey, but the knee cartilage doesn’t just re-appear out of the blue.  Something has to give, and centering your offense around someone that’s more easily trusted to be on the floor game-by-game seems realistic.

The other aspect of it comes from the money card.  It can also be thrown into the “lucrative” pile, since Bosh was granted the contract of a lifetime by Pat Riley.

$118 million puts Bosh into elite, top five company of being the highest paid in the sport, which wasn’t even deserved by his playoff disappointments.  Any time you have a monumental starting forward claim that he doesn’t like  playing in the post at all anymore, perhaps you should plan your finances appropriately.

Bosh is no longer a raptor in the paint.  In fact, defenses have already began to feel a comfortable win on their hands if Bosh is looking to score in the middle.  The intensity has disappeared, and it’s to the point where he doesn’t even know how to act or operate when he gets touches on the low block.  Playing with LeBron is supposed to elevate your game, not make you forget everything that made you succeed in your first city.

Now, with absolutely no reliable big man on the roster that can anchor the middle, Bosh is forced to get away from the wings and corners a bit, and see what he has left near the basket.

He’s given the benefit of a high ranking because everyone knows he’ll continue stepping out and stretching Miami’s offense similar to the way Atlanta likes to run things, with their centers making you step away and put a hand in their face from 20 feet out.  I just so happen to trust Bosh when he’s doing so.  Insane for Miami, huh?