Thursday, October 18th, 2012 at 12:00 pm  |  99 responses

Top 50: Chris Bosh, no. 18

The definitive ranking of the NBA’s best players for ’12-13.

by Ben Taylor / @benitaylor

Let’s get this out of the way. Chris Bosh probably isn’t your favorite player. He’s not mine either. There will be plenty of people reading this who want to know why he should be ranked higher than Zach Randolph, or Paul Pierce, or whoever.

The thing with a guy like Bosh is that it can be hard to see the player through the peripheral stuff—the goofiness, the passing resemblance to a dinosaur, the crying in the locker room, the “soft” jibes, being the “third wheel.”

And while it might be more fun to turn him into a GIF—God knows his facial expressions, interview bombs, and the champagne shower are the stuff of internet legend—that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve some respect as a player.

Last year we had him at 17 (after a Finals loss in which he was the Heat’s most important player), and as the third option on his team—with teammate LeBron James having an otherworldly season at both ends of the floor—Bosh finished the season with 18 points and 8 rebounds per game, another All-Star appearance and a Championship.

While LeBron and DWade were dominating games and headlines, Bosh went about his business efficiently and effectively—using his time with the ball wisely, taking smart shots, creating space for his guys. But when they needed him to step up, he showed—just as he has his entire career—that he could be relied upon to put up points and make plays.

LeBron was the man on that team, no doubt, but even the greatest player on the planet had to acknowledge that Bosh was irreplaceable to the Heat last year.

Think back to the regular season. With Dwyane Wade on the sideline with injury, Bosh stepped up and helped the Heat to a 12-1 streak—the former Raptor averaged nearly 24 points per game on 57 percent shooting.

And then there was his Eastern Conference Finals comeback. Returning to the lineup after injury, Bosh sealed a place in the Finals for the Heat by shutting down Kevin Garnett at one end of the floor, and opening up the game at the other—his clutch outside shooting prevented the Cs from being able to double up on James and Wade. It was much the same story against the Thunder, where he made Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins a non-factor, despite being at less than 100 percent healthy for the entire series. The rest, as they say, is GIF history.

But, I hear you—that was last year, and the SLAMonline Top 50 is about the here and now. So, what is Bosh going to do this season to justify his place in the top 20?

He’s going to move full-time to center, creating match-up problems for the rest of the League’s bigs, who will be forced to decide whether to guard Bosh’s outside shooting or to fill the lane to cover James and Wade.

He’s going to average in the region of 20 and 10, despite the fact that LeBron will have an even more ridiculous season than last year, and he’ll be third in line for the ball again.

He’s going to make another All-Star team.

Most importantly, he’s going to be an even better bail-out guy for the Heat than last year, as they head toward their second consecutive NBA title.


Where should Chris Bosh rank in the SLAMonline Top 50?

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SLAMonline Top 50 Players 2012
Rank Player Team Position Pos. Rank
50 Greg Monroe Pistons C 8
49 Tyreke Evans Kings PG 14
48 Brandon Jennings Bucks PG 13
47 Stephen Curry Warriors PG 12
46 Ricky Rubio TWolves PG 11
45 Al Jefferson Jazz PF 14
44 Anthony Davis Hornets PF 13
43 Serge Ibaka Thunder PF 12
42 Al Horford Hawks C 7
41 Ty Lawson Nuggets PG 10
40 Danny Granger Pacers SF 6
39 Tim Duncan Spurs PF 11
38 John Wall Wizards PG 9
37 Monta Ellis Bucks SG 8
36 Zach Randolph Grizzlies PF 10
35 Roy Hibbert Pacers C 6
34 Tyson Chandler Knicks C 5
33 Eric Gordon Hornets SG 7
32 Kevin Garnett Celtics PF 9
31 Manu Ginobili Spurs SG 6
30 Amar’e Stoudemire Knicks PF 8
29 Marc Gasol Grizzlies C 4
28 DeMarcus Cousins Kings C 3
27 Paul Pierce Celtics SF 5
26 Andre Iguodala Nuggets SG 5
25 Rudy Gay Grizzlies SF 4
24 Josh Smith Hawks PF 7
23 Derrick Rose Bulls PG 8
22 Joe Johnson Nets SG 4
21 Steve Nash Lakers PG 7
20 James Harden Thunder SG 3
19 Pau Gasol Lakers PF 6
18 Chris Bosh Heat PF 5

Notes
• Rankings are based solely on projected ’12-13 performance.
• Contributors to this list include: Jake Appleman, Maurice Bobb, Rodger Bohn, Brendan Bowers, Franklyn Calle, David Cassilo, Bryan Crawford, Adam Figman, Eldon Khorshidi, Eddie Maisonet III, Ryne Nelson, Ben Osborne, Allen Powell II, Sam Rubenstein, Jonathan Santiago, Abe Schwadron, Leo Sepkowitz, Dave Spahn, Ben Taylor, Tzvi Twersky, Peter Walsh, Tracy Weissenberg, Yaron Weitzman, DeMarco Williams and Dave Zirin.
• Want more of the SLAMonline Top 50? Check out the archive.

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  • justin05

    He’s gtill a great player but I think Gasol and him should be flipped. Bosh isn’t quite as good Pau still.

  • TR

    Perfect write up about Bosh. Goofy dude that can ball haha.

  • LeroyShonuff

    I personally believe he should be top 10 based on slam’s ranking system. He completely changes the heat and the league. He can rebound and start the break for the heat while getting points off pick n roll, off the ball movement and is a dope passer. He is the reason the heat won a title. Only Dwight or Bynum (potentially) is a more valuable big in the league. That includes pf’s too

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    Gets overshadowed by Lebron and Wade…Hes the same guy he was in Toronto! which was without a doubt a top 20 payer.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    by what logic?

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    if Bosh wasn’t on the Heat, he’d be a top 10 player.

  • http://slamonline.com/ Ben Osborne

    Nice job, BT. I voted him 17th so obviously I’m pretty pleased with this ranking.

  • MUBWAR

    Most people forget that he averaged 24 and 9 as a second fiddle to the king for 14 games while wade was sidelined. how many ballers average 24 and 9 as 1st option? he is easily top 15 to 20 in the league as a third option(that’s crazy)

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    in Toronto he was putting up 24 and 11, he’s now putting up 18 and 8, he’s being overshadowed.

  • Max

    What more can I say than “Like a Baaaaawwsshhhhaaaaahhh!!!

  • LakeShow

    Bron
    KD
    Kobe
    CP3
    Howard
    Rose
    Dirk
    Wade
    Love
    D-Will
    Westbrook
    .
    .
    .
    I dunno man, Dirk is maybe the only player i’d put him above out of those. Close to top 10 for sure though.

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/savagemuzicgroup T-Ray

    I’m totally fine with him being ahead of Gasol me being a resident Laker fan and all. One dynamic that he brings to the Heat is his matchup nightmare ability for opposing centers. He’s a constant threat from outside and if you close out to hard he’ll drive for the finish or find the open man. He’s also very underrated as a defender.

  • danpowers

    the lizard man. nice read

  • Hanoon

    he’s my favourite player ya goofball

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    i’m pretty sure most of us would have Bosh over Dirk and Westbrook if he were the top dog on a team. — And some people would put him over Kevin Love for defensive reasons.

  • Da-Meat-Hook

    Without a healthy Bosh, Miami takes 7 games to get by both Indiana and Boston. With a relatively healthy Bosh, Miami beats OKC in 5. He’s a lot more important to the Heat that many give him credit for!

  • LakeShow

    Those are arguments that can be made. I think I would take Westbrook, but not Dirk. Love… well this is Love’s season to prove if he is the elite PF IMO. He’s shown he can put up gawdy stats, but this season he has to show if he can lead a winner. IF he can, I think he rightfully deserves a spot over Bosh.

  • LakeShow

    But that would put Bosh at 11 so I pretty much agree with you lol…

  • Drig

    You could say the same about Pau. The problem with both of them is that they’re on stacked teams and get overlooked.

  • MUBWAR

    Love doesn’t have a single go to move. he shoots 3′s and get a whole lot of put backs. plus the last 3 seasons in the league, he has a combine 79 blocks in a possible 230 games played. that’s horrendous as starting PF let alone a top 10 player in the league.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    i agree about Love completely. this breaking his hand in his sleep business is a bad sign for that too happen tho.

  • UNFORGETTABLE

    Overshadowed by Bron and Wade. Very underrated. Great write up, though I think he should at least be 15.

  • Conor

    Even as a fan of Los Angeles, Bosh is superior to Gasol in every facet of basketball other than passing.

  • Perry the PlatyPteranodon

    I’m okay with him here, personally had him above Griffin and Love, mostly for his defense and passing ability, and he’s better offensively than either of them by far.

  • danpowers

    me too. at least he is a better player than love for sure

  • Drig

    Post game would be slightly in favor of Gasol. Passing in favor of Gasol. Transition, Defense, Perimeter scoring would be Bosh though. Bosh > Gasol as an individual player. Better fit for LAL : Gasol.

  • Drig

    Bynum??? Assuming he’s finally gonna be healthy?

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    what about Bynum? He has never even kind shown us he’s a top 10 player in the NBA. Being the top dog on Philadelphia, with his maturity issues, will, more than likely, yield more negative results than positive ones, despite what everyone keeps saying. Being the leader of a team is a totally different monster than being Kobe’s punching bag.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    look, he’s scoring more points more efficiently then any other 4 in the league, and he’s rebounding more, at a higher rate than anyone not named Dwight. If he is the best player on a playoff team, the argument that he is the best 4 in the league and an obvious top 10 player is completely valid.

  • LakeShow

    yeah…wtf

  • LakeShow

    Why do you need a go to move when your doing things no one in history has done?

  • LakeShow

    This is Bynum’s year to show what he’s all about.

  • Drig

    Bynum has shown that when he’s involved on the offensive end of the floor, he can be a beast on the defensive end, even with his shortcomings while defending the PnR which killed LAL last season. I think his maturity issues are being overplayed a bit much like Cousins’ issues and I’m sure he knows how hard Philly fans can be if you don’t exert your all. He’s shown enough maturity and mental toughness to come back from injuries and improve his game, has a few go-to moves in the post which will be effective with single coverage, is learning to counter double teams and can alter and rebound shots with his wingspan. Personally, I believe this will be Bynum’s year as long as Turner/Holiday feed him, play off of him and knock down shots from the perimeter. Personally, I thought he was a top 10 player for a few months in Feb ’10. Retrospectively, I’d probably rank him around 17-19 over the course of last season.

  • a random

    I can’t stand bosh

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Drig, Cousins has not punctured a player’s lung, and hasn’t taken out his frustration by doing the exact same thing at the end of a blow out because he was frustrated over a year later. And Bynum has never been productive (at an elite level) for a consistent amount of time for anyone to believe he’s going to take on a bigger role and prosper doing it.
    .
    And Phili fans don’t keep their athletes ego’s in check, if the athlete under performs they DESTROY that athletes confidence. And Bynum is about as mentally tough as a small child waiting in line to talk to Santa Clause.
    .

  • Datkid

    not offensively, I feel like, but on both sides of the ball Bosh get’s the edge.

  • MUBWAR

    but he isn’t nbk. he never made the playoffs. bosh took his team to the playoffs 2 or 3 times in his first 6 seasons. I really like kevin’s stats but he is better off as a second or a third options on a contender.

  • Datkid

    Kobe over wade tho? and westbrook over wade? Irving over bosh? and cousins is a top 20 player? and Melo is top 10?

  • Datkid

    Bosh is a top 10 player. and arguably the best PF in the game, if we want to talk about both ends on the floor. He guards the P&R well, can protect the Rim, can guard centers not named dwight or bynum and I’m pretty sure he guarded KD for a couple of possessions. and offensively he’s just as skilled a scorer as any PF not named Dirk or maybe Love. P&R, pick and pop, midrange jumpers off head fakes, attacking off screens and shooting 3′s are all well within his repertoire. probably the most versatile 3 in the game.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    dude, i have Bosh as a better player. I’m just saying, if Love is the best 4 in the league again this year statistically, and leads them to the playoffs, the “Love is the best 4 in the league conversation” will be completely valid. That’s an IF though.

  • Datkid

    Personally I think if the Heat want to take some of the pressure off the still recovering wade they should make bosh the 2nd option. His game opens up Lebron’s more. but that’s me.

  • Mr. Wet

    Bosh is a tough player to rank. I think because he’s technically too damn good to be a third wheel on a team. Put it this way in the Love vs. Bosh arguement. I’d rather have Bosh being the superstar on my team over Love. But, I think you swap bosh and love on the heat, and the Heat are a better team.

    But, what do I know. I never thought Dirk would win a title being the best player on his team.

  • Junior Taylor

    Despite what everyone says about Bosh, the man more than held his own against the likes of KG and Ibaka. He was huge during that Finals with his ability to stretch out and hit the mid-range or 3pt J (3/4 from 3 during that Gm 7 vs BOS) and had 3 different 2 blocks game, double figure rebounds twice (15/11). I think that the Heat should run more plays on the block for Bosh, dude got an underrated post game.

  • LeroyShonuff

    I got Bosh top 10.
    1. Durant/Lebron
    3. Kobe
    4. CP3
    5. Rose (when healthy)
    6. Wade
    7. Dwight
    8. Melo
    9. Bosh
    10. Rondo

    Bosh is the best PF in the league. He is beyond better than Love/Blake but Cousins can be top 15.

  • LakeShow

    I agree 100% that Bosh can carry a team to W’s better than Love as a 1st option, but Love would be better on the Heat than Bosh is.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    How do you figure that? The Heat need a big (aside from one that can run a pick and pop) that can defend and run the floor……Bosh does both better than Love.

  • danpowers

    what? his overall production decreased compared to his output he had in toronto. ever since he just got better as a player. compare his raptor-stats with love or griffin and you see what i am talking about. that he is more than just a bandwagon guy showed against boston and in the finals. he is clearly, without any doubt a better player than love.

  • Sérgio

    Kobe was better than Wade last season.

    But Bosh over Rondo?

  • Conor

    Yes, yes, not yet, not yet, and yes. Respectively. imo

  • Datkid

    No Kobe was not. lol

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