Besides money, why did Chris Bosh choose to re-sign for what appears to be a middling, post-LeBron era with the Miami Heat?
Because in Bosh’s eyes, forming a bigger NBA title contender with the Houston Rockets would’ve been “nothing but pressure”.
In an interview with Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, Bosh opened up about the offseason decision that saw him return to the Heat on a five-year, $118-million contract. It was one year longer and over $30 million more than what the Rockets could offer, so many around the league believed that to be the driving factor.
But according to Bosh, it wasn’t just about the money. It was evidently also about wanting to avoid the type of high-stress environment that accompanied his role with the Heat over the past four seasons alongside James and Dwyane Wade.
“I could see where people would think that’s an attractive site,” Bosh told CBSSports.com, speaking of Houston, where half the NBA expected him to land back in July. “They were trying to win right away. And I was really happy to be touted that I possibly could’ve been out there. But you know, that doesn’t guarantee anything, and I know that. All that guarantees is a bunch of pressure.”
It’s certainly Bosh’s prerogative to decide his own priorities. He earned the right to be a highly-sought-after free agent, and his honesty about the process is, in some ways, refreshing.
But for the Heat, it does appear troubling that the team’s franchise player moving forward — the only one they’re allowed to give a 5-year contract to — appears somewhat intimidated by the pressure of serious title contention. And after a fast start out of the gate, the Heat have now slipped to 6-5 on the season, with Bosh shooting a career-low 41.5% from the field.
Houston is certainly in better shape, as it holds the NBA’s second-best record at 9-2. That said, the previously high-flying Rockets have scored 93 points or fewer in three consecutive games, including 69 at Oklahoma City on Sunday in one of the ugliest games you’ll ever see.
The Rockets did win two of those three games, with the lone loss on the road to 10-1 Memphis on the second night of a back-to-back. And certainly, that speaks volumes toward Houston’s much-improved defense this season, starting with a significantly-higher commitment from James Harden.
But the recent struggles on offense show a distinct need for another creator alongside Harden and Dwight Howard. Bosh would’ve been an ideal fit on paper for that role, but he had a different set of priorities than those assumptions many put on him at the time.
In the meantime, the Rockets are still awaiting their next big move to fill the hole that would’ve been occupied by Bosh. And if the mediocrity continues in Miami, Pat Riley and his three-time-champion Heat may start to wonder if committing to Bosh as the franchise cornerstone was a prudent decision.
CHRIS PAUL LAMENTS CLIPPERS’ LACK OF HOME SUPPORT
The Clippers were hailed as a Western Conference contender before the season, but thus far the hype hasn’t correlated with the product on the floor.
After losing badly to the Bulls (105-89) at home on Monday night, the Clippers sit at 5-4 overall — tied with New Orleans for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. Making matters worse, the Clippers blew a 14-point, first-half lead against a Bulls squad playing without both Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol.
But Clippers’ star Chris Paul is also irked by what he’s seeing and hearing in the stands. On Monday, the Chicago-heavy crowd shouted chants of “Let’s go, Bulls!” throughout the third quarter, as the Bulls outscored the home team, 31-14.
“Tonight somewhat felt like a road game,” said Paul. “It ain’t no secret. It’s not the first time.”
Though he didn’t play, Chicago’s Gasol — a famed former Laker — echoed that sentiment when speaking to reporters at Monday’s shootaround.
“I think Los Angeles is always going to be a Lakers city,” Gasol said. “Sixteen banners are 16 banners.”
The Clippers now embark on a seven-game road trip beginning Wednesday in Orlando. Perhaps Paul and his Clipper teammates will enjoy a break from the Staples Center scene.
OTHER NEWS FROM AROUND THE NBA
Much like Paul’s Clippers, the Suns have been a bit of a disappointment early on. Their Monday win over Boston nudged them back over .500 at 6-5, but they’re lagging behind their 58.5% winning clip (48-34) from a season ago and are still on the outside looking in with the West playoff picture.
The Suns added Isaiah Thomas from Sacramento and also brought back a finally-healthy Eric Bledsoe, giving them on paper an incredibly deep and dangerous guard rotation. But in practice, the transition hasn’t been that simple.
Goran Dragic says he knows why things haven’t quite clicked. Via Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic:
“Because there’s only one ball and we’re all point guards,” Dragic said. “That’s an easy answer.
“It’s hard. That’s sacrifice. If Isaiah’s playing well, he’s going to stay in. Me and Eric, it depends who is playing better and who is going to be on the court. The other guy is going to be on the bench. It’s the way it is. We need to embrace that.”
According to Coro, Dragic’s playmaking rate has been cut in half relative to last season. With Thomas in town and Bledsoe staying healthy, Dragic is having to play off the ball more — and it remains a work in progress. Dragic has seen his points/game drop from 20.3 to 15.6 and his assists/game from 5.9 to 3.2, even as his minutes remain fairly level (35.1 in 2013-14, 32.5 in 2014-15).
It’s early in the season, so the Suns certainly have time to figure things out. But if they don’t by January, things could get interesting as the team approaches the 2015 trade deadline. Dragic is planning to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and there’s a reason most teams don’t invest heavily in three point guards.
Whether it’s Dragic or one of the other two, the construction of the Suns’ roster is a bit unbalanced. As a result, an eventual trade of a guard for a big could potentially make a lot of sense in Phoenix.
Speaking of the aforementioned Pau Gasol, the 1-9 Lakers were apparently hellbent on trying to keep Gasol with the franchise this summer.
From Beto Duran of ESPN Radio in Los Angeles:
Pau said Lakers offered him a no trade clause during negotiations.
That’s a remarkable offer, because only six players in the entire league — Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony — have full no-trade clauses. And of those six, all are certain Hall of Famers and most franchise icons. ‘
For the Lakers to offer to put a 34-year-old Gasol in that sort of status speaks volumes about the franchise’s current status, as does the fact that Gasol still turned down the bid. Even with cap space, the Lakers may not have an easy time attracting marquee free agents as they move forward.
Ben DuBose is a veteran sports reporter who has followed the Houston Rockets and the NBA since Hakeem Olajuwon was Akeem Olajuwon. He writes for both SheridanHoops and ClutchFans, an independent Rockets blog. You can follow him on Twitter.