Bosh keeps track of his boards; Spo glad to see him finally "getting off the floor"

[gotoHcarolina52]

January 6, 2013
By Chris Tomasson

MIAMI -- The folks in street clothes at the scorer's table always keep track of rebounds at Miami Heat games. Now, so will a guy wearing a tank top.

Much-maligned Heat center Chris Bosh is vowing to count caroms while he plays. Apparently, that will make him more cognizant of whether he is staving off critics.

"I'm just counting them so everybody will get off my back," said Bosh, who had nobody on his case after he grabbed nine in Sunday's 99-71 rout of the Washington Wizards at AmericanAirlines Arena. "That's really it. That's why I'm counting them. I'm like, 'Hey, it was nine today.' Just a start. And I got to get nine the next game, maybe even 10."

If the 6-foot-11 Bosh grabbed 10, he would be living up to last season's prediction, when he spoke of averaging that many a night. He didn't come close, finishing at 7.9.

This season he's been even worse. He's averaging 7.6, on pace to be the lowest since he pulled down 7.4 a game as a Toronto rookie in 2003-04.

So why the decision now to start tallying boards?

Well, things had bottomed out Friday, when the Heat, who have rebounded poorly throughout the season, were obliterated 48-28 in a 96-89 home loss to Chicago. Bosh had grabbed five in that game to conclude a week that featured him averaging 4.3 boards in three games and being outrebounded 29-4 last Monday by Orlando center Nikola Vucevic.

"The only way we can do a better job on the boards is if each guy challenges himself a little more," said Bosh, who had a solid all-around night against the Wizards with 17 points and four blocked shots, a season high and tied for the most he's had in his three Miami seasons. "So I looked at it. I got to challenge myself a lot more than I have been. And I'll make a better effort on the boards. And it was a pretty decent night."

Yes, it was. Bosh didn't get 10 but he played a modest 32 minutes. Had he played his normal 34, he just might have reached double digits.

. . .

When the Heat don't rebound, much of the criticism falls upon Bosh. After all, he's a center and aren't centers supposed to rebound?

And Bosh had proven in the past an ability to rebound well. While with the Raptors from 2003-09, he averaged more than 10 in a season three times. Even this season, he's had outings of 16 and 18 rebounds.

"Life isn't fair," Bosh said when asked if all the criticism he gets regarding rebounding is fair. "I'm over that. I don't really read it. But if we win the rebounding battle, then give me credit. Even if I don't deserve it, give it to me."

Actually, it's not very often the Heat have won the rebounding battle this season. Sunday marked just the ninth time in 32 games.

It might seem rather basic, but Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said Bosh did something against Wizards that really helped his rebounding. He jumped.

"I just like to see him get off the floor," Spoelstra said. "I think he probably had more jumps in this game than he's had in a while. He was active… On the rebounds, even ones he wasn't getting, he was getting off the floor… It felt like he was a 7-foot player, which he is with his wingspan."

The athletic Bosh is hardly a guy who can't walk and chew gum at the same time. He showed Sunday he can jump for rebounds and count how many he's gotten at the same time.

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[Dré]

Wow, this nucca just doesn't get it? He's ultimately checking the boxscore (progressively through games), in order to be "more cognizant" of whether he's been adequate in getting boards. By his own admission, he's making this concentrated effort (on the glass) in the hopes of getting people "off his back." And not because it's simply a travesty for a seven footer to collect 4 rebounds in a game that saw a player (of very similar size) grab 29.

Bosh is absolutely pathetic. You should vie to acquire possession of the basketball because that's what wins you games. Rebounding (among other things) is an essential part of what helps generate possessions. Those possessions are ultimately what will give your team opportunities to score the basketball. One can not score without securing and ultimately capitalizing/maximizing on their possessions.

[gotoHcarolina52]

Bosh counted to 5 tonight! Way to go, big guy!