The Miami Heat have a massive, Chris Bosh-sized hole to fill at power forward. Is James Johnson a legitimate candidate to step into the void going forward?
Imagine the 2017 version of Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat‘s present roster.
You remember him, I’m sure. No? Former starter at power forward? He won two titles playing alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade? He was even a meme! Ah, I knew that would jog your memory.
Bosh was a player ahead of his time, while still depending on an antiquated method of scoring. He was forward-thinking for his ability to space the floor from the midrange as a big man, but not quite enough of a visionary to extend his range beyond the arc.
Though he was beginning to shoot more three-pointers later in his Heat career, he never got the chance to fully embrace the threes-or-layups-only path the NBA has recently taken.
But even with his affinity for shooting the least efficient shot in basketball, Bosh was so talented that in his last full year of playing (2012-13), he ranked 20th overall in Win Shares. That’s while having to act solely as a safety valve for Wade and James, too.
Losing him just before the start of this season was brutal. A lineup featuring Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters, Justise Winslow, Hassan Whiteside and Bosh would have been deadly –a wonderful mix-and-match of penetrators, floor-spacers and plus-defenders. Even thinking of the potential hurts.
Instead, gone was Bosh. His Heat career? Over. All year, fans of the team have wondered who his long-term replacement was going to be. There isn’t a shortage of options, be it impending free agents or guys still in the college ranks, all waiting for their turn.
However, is it possible the best alternative has been under our noses all along? Well, after the last three games, it may not even be much of a secret anymore.