Chris Bosh of Miami Heat looking for more touches on offense - ESPN
Chris Bosh sounds off following loss
Updated: March 9, 2011, 1:02 PM ET
By Brian Windhorst | ESPN.com
MIAMI -- In the midst of their worst losing streak of the season and under significant pressure and scrutiny, the Miami Heat are starting to show some cracks.
Chris Bosh complained about his season-long role in the team's offense in the wake of the Heat's 105-96 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, the Heat's fifth straight defeat.
"It is common sense, we can talk about it, but I think it's evident," Bosh said. "I just have to get it where I'm effective. I'm a big man. I can shoot the ball but I'm a big man. So I have to get it where big guys get it. Then I feel I can start helping out this team more."
Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade hinted that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra may need to re-evaluate the rotation. The Heat's bench was outscored 41-8 by the Blazers after scoring just six total points in last Sunday's loss to the Chicago Bulls. The team's rotation changed recently with the addition of point guard Mike Bibby, who signed last week.
"Hopefully guys can be aggressive and contribute more," Wade said. "There are guys on the bench that can help us, no question about it. That is all on coach. We've had guys like Eddie [House] help us win games and James Jones, etc. He's going to have to decide whether or not people are on the floor."
Bosh's comments came after one of his worst games of the season, scoring just seven points on 3-of-11 shooting. He was outplayed down the stretch by Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 26 points.
At the center of Bosh's complaint was not getting more touches in the low post. As part of the Heat's offense this season, Bosh has operated out of the high post and taken mostly jump shots while being a screen-setter for teammates Wade and LeBron James. Bosh said he planned to raise the issue with teammates and Spoelstra.
"I've got to get back in my comfort zone, I haven't been in my comfort zone," Bosh said. "A lot of things are new for me. I just have to be more aggressive in demanding my [the ball] comfort zone, you know I'll take the fault for that... I'm effective down in the low post area, so that is where I need to start getting the ball. I need to be assertive in demanding it."
Bosh has seen his scoring average dip about six points a game this season as he's getting about three fewer shots per game than he did with the Toronto Raptors. His shots, however, are quite different.
According to Synergy Sports, 50 percent of Bosh's shots have been jumpers this season. Last year, only 31 percent of his shots were jumpers.
Going public with his frustration may have been a carryover from Sunday, when Bosh scored 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting but only got one shot in the fourth quarter. Then against the Blazers, Bosh was guarded routinely by the smaller Gerald Wallace in the first half but the Heat did not call plays for him or look for him in the post.
"I'm saying what I need to do as a player, a closed mouth doesn't get fed," Bosh said. "I'm uncomfortable now so you might as well do something else. If there's a disagreement or something, that's fine, we can talk about it. If they don't want that, that's OK, but I just feel that I have to be my normal self. I'm not there right now. I haven't been there many times this season."
During the preseason, Bosh seemed to be on board with the new niche the Heat were carving out for him that didn't include as much time in the low post.
"I never really like to bump against people that are a lot, lot bigger than me," Bosh said in October. "I'm not the biggest guy in the world. Coach is going to put him in that position sometimes. He's not going to hang me out to dry. He's going to put me in there when we have an advantage."
Wade, who combined with James to score 69 of the Heat's 96 points in the loss, said he'll attempt to address Bosh's concerns.
"I think throughout this year we've all had spells where we wanted the ball more," Wade said.
"That is what we're used to. Whenever one of our teammates comes to us and says 'I can help us more in this situation' we'll do our best to make it happen. It's the time of the year when I know I'll be very aggressive and I know LeBron will be very aggressive. We have to figure out ways to help Chris to be more aggressive and understand this moment. It is our duty and our job to make sure at this time of year, when Chris hasn't been in too many of these situations, that Chris is more productive. He can be more productive for us."
Brian Windhorst covers the NBA for ESPN.com.
and during part of that 27 game win streak, Wade was playing better than Bron.
