Chris Bosh makes his teammates better
Monday, December 10, 2007 | 06:37 PM ET
After the Raptors game ended yesterday, my 11-year-old son turned to me and said, “I can’t believe I wasn’t a fan of Chris Bosh.” I’ve been trying for years to tell him that Bosh is the real deal. But like many young NBA fans, they can’t see past Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James (and with good reason by the way).
Bosh showed, in Toronto’s 93-80 win over the Houston Rockets, why he is one of the most talented players in the league. His stat line read: 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocked shots, 2 steals and 0 turnovers in 41 minutes. Not bad for a guy who just missed six games because of a groin injury.
What was really impressive about Bosh’s performance yesterday was that even though he struggled offensively in the first half, he was a huge presence throughout the game on defence. Bosh opened the game by blocking Houston’s first shot attempt. He book-ended that with a huge block on Tracey McGrady late in the game. Add on the shots he altered and the numerous turnovers he created, and you have a guy who literally put his stamp on the game.
The best thing about Bosh is, like most superstars (Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Steve Nash et al), his presence in the lineup makes those around him better. The team’s defensive intensity rises, their energy rises and they play with a lot more confidence.
Bosh, who was the fourth pick in the 2003 draft, got lost in the hype of James, Anthony, Wade and even second overall pick Darko Milicic. That draft may be considered the NBA’s best rookie class of all time. It also featured T.J. Ford (Toronto), Jarvis Hayes (Detroit), David West (New Orleans), Boris Diaw (Phoenix), Carlos Delfino (Toronto) Leandro Barbosa (Phoenix) and Josh Howard (Dallas) in the first round. Jason Kapono (Toronto), Luke Walton (Los Angeles) and Kyle Korver (Philadelphia) went in the second round. All those guys are stars on their respective teams. And five of them, including Bosh have made the all-star team in their respective conferences. For Bosh to shine among this group is a testament to his talent.
The only negative thing about Bosh’s performance so far in his short NBA career is that I will pretty soon have to add another NBA Jersey and a pair of Nike shoes to my son’s Christmas list.
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About the Author
Nick Davis is the senior producer of Metro Morning on CBC Radio One 99.1 FM. He's been involved in basketball since 1978 when he played the game for the first time as an eighth grader. He has covered basketball as a reporter from 1987 to 2001 including college and university basketball, the Canadian national team program and the Toronto Raptors.
An assistant with Sheridan College for the past 13 years, Davis still finds time to coach youth hoops in Toronto. Some of the players Nick has coached include NBAer Jamaal Magloire, European pro Wayne Smith, and Canadian national team members Sherman Douglas and Michael Meeks.
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Comments
Jason
Indeed Chris Bosh very talented and has shown his team the actual meaning of team work, since VC didn't bother, and now the team is benefitting. It doesn't take much to play a team sport, just as long as you play AS a team. And there is no one better on the Raptors to be that team leader then Bosh himself. This kid is simply amazing! He pputs the heart and soul back into the team. I actually don't think he could ever stop imroving himself. He is always bettering himself in such acknowledgable ways that its hard to ignore them. Chris Bosh, you are ' da man' !
Posted December 24, 2007 04:37 PM
Chris
Edmonton
Certainly Bosh belongs with the all stars mentioned with the article. However, I think his performances goes unnoticed because he does not have the flash that Lebron, Wade, or Melo brings to the game. But if you want consistancy, hard work, and leadership, you don't need to look any further than Bosh. The way the team plays changes when he is in the game. He is the heart and soul of the team. He may not be the league MVP this year because that award is more about popularity than stats (Nash got ripped off last year). But he is definitely the Raptor's MVP.
Posted December 11, 2007 08:49 PM
Mugen
Toronto
He is certainly a leader... with Bosh and Moon in the lineup... there are gonna be many blocked shots this season...
Posted December 11, 2007 06:47 PM
jason mccaw
geary
hey chris bosh your ONE of my favorite players did that groin injury hurt alot
Posted December 11, 2007 03:36 PM