January 25, 2007

BOSH IS “WILLING” HIMSELF RIGHT INTO THE MVP PICTURE

      Now, truth be told-- at this juncture of the season, there really are only three candidates for the MVP award in the NBA.  Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant (in that order) are classified as the first tier of favourites for the trophy.  Unless any of these players miss a large chunk of their remaining games due to injury the voting is likely to finish in precisely that order.  However, there is a list of players in a tier just below them, players such as Gilbert Arenas, Lebron James and Carlos Boozer.  The newest candidate for this list is Toronto Raptors’ power forward Chris Bosh.

       With the ascent of the Raptors in the Eastern Conference standings Bosh has become familiar to all those involved in the NBA and he is garnering accolades for his play—such as being named player of the month for January.  Being voted to the all-star starting line-up also proves that fans around the league are noticing his play.  He is the unquestioned leader and the best player on the Raptors, and when teams devise a strategy on how to beat Toronto the focus is always on the attempted containment of the Raptor big man.   That strategy nearly always fails as Bosh’ quickness, his leaping ability and his shooting acumen are often too much to defend. 

      At a mere 22 years of age, and in his fourth NBA season, Bosh has only just begun to tap into his tremendous potential--he will soon be an annual nominee for the MVP trophy.  With his club finally coming out of mothballs the exposure he will receive will only increase, and as his abilities improve and his knowledge of the game grows he likely will be perceived as the pre-eminent power-forward in his conference.   And if the Raptors organization can somehow find the missing ingredient (a solid second scorer?) then consistent runs deep into the playoffs will certainly serve to increase his visibility. 

       So how did the slender giant from Georgia Tech rise to such lofty levels in such a short span of time?  The talent was always obvious, but it is his work ethic and his determination to improve that have driven him not only into the all-star game but also into MVP consideration.   He has the skills—his quickness around the basket makes it increasingly difficult for forwards of similar size to stay with him.  His shooting ability draws inside defenders away from the basket and opens up lanes for penetrating guards.  He can step out and shoot from a distance (he has become and above average three point shooter and recently made a 65 foot shot at the buzzer) and he can put the ball on the floor and spin around defenders.  His leaping ability allows for rebounds, put-backs and alley-oops and as his defensive acumen improves he will not only be able to guard players his size but he will become more of a force as a shot blocker and a help defender.  In short—he is on his way to becoming one of those special players that can carry a team, if he’s not already there.

       When opposing teams devise game plans to slow down the Raptor all-star they inevitably plot double teams and traps in an attempt to get the ball out of his hands.  With experience Bosh is learning how to evade traps and how to pass out of double teams.  He can post up and, when the double team arrives, he can move the ball back outside, re-post and then get his shot away quick enough to avoid the returning double-team.  He is learning that with a simple ball fake and a spin move he can lose any defender, and if his defender steps backs to take away the drive and dares him to shoot—he will, and he will make it more often than not.  When Bosh improved his free throw shooting it opened up the entire offensive end for him.  No longer was he tentative about going to the basket—now if his shooting skill temporarily fails him he can drive to the hoop and either score a basket or attract a foul.  Getting to the foul line ten times a game means an extra seven or eight points for a mid-seventies foul shooter.  A few teams have tried to put smaller, aggressive forwards on him to limit his quickness (the Spurs like using Bruce Bowen on him and the Nets often put Richard Jefferson against him).  This is a strategy that can only work for a short time, as Bosh soon learns where his advantage lies and starts using his height and his length to shoot over the smaller players.

       Besides his obvious skills Bosh has taken to being the team leader—an enormous responsibility for a man so young.    His will to succeed and his desire to win enable him to successfully dictate to older and more experienced players.   He can criticize as well as exhort and when the team fails he is reticent to blame anyone and is more than willing to accept it for himself.  He has earned the trust and the respect of his teammates, the coaching staff, and the entire organization.

       As he becomes more experienced and as his team gets better Bosh will move to the top tier of MVP candidates.  One day he might just win it outright.

E-mail: mhobson@thefanview.com

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