After months of speculation, there is now thankfully finality to the Chris Bosh saga of Houston Rockets history. Bosh will join Wade and the Heat, leaving the Rockets in search of Plan B.
When it became clear that Bosh would not return to the Raptors, in a wave of scorned ‘good riddance,’ there was a prevailing sentiment in Toronto, as is typically the case in these scenarios, that the team was better off without its star forward. Let’s please not give way to such bitter apologia – we’re more in control of our emotions than that. Make no mistake, Bosh would have instantly raised this team to contender status and was a worthy pursuit. He was worth every damn penny it took to customize that Ipad.
Having made that preface, I’m more than grateful that this charade is close to over. Already not commanding the respect his production would deserve (Shaq famously called him the ‘Rupaul of NBA big men’), this free agency has seen Chris Bosh devolve into something of a caricature of even himself. The shtick quickly grew cold but most bewildering is his apparent nescience of the public perception. No one has done more harm for his image in these past weeks as has Chris Bosh.
The big winner is Dwyane Wade for whom I am happy. Rockets fans having watched Hakeem rot away his athletic prime with inferior teammates can empathize with the guard’s former plight.
Wilbon made a point earlier, on Sportscenter, that in talking to former players, many expressed incredulity over the proceedings. To them, friendship meant competitiveness and a desire to collide as opponents. I don’t think it’s so simple and its flawed to apply the lens of a former era to the circumstances of today.
In a league with less teams and greater parity, players, by and large, determined their own destiny. In today’s NBA, with the likes of Chris Wallace handing Kobe Bryant rings upon a platter, one must take action when management fails him. If the trio wants to join forces, so be it; not everyone has Pau Gasol gift-wrapped via trade.
For the Rockets, the focus turns toward finding Plan B. The team finds itself in the precarious position of having too much talent to justify just any upgrade, but not having enough to consider itself in contention. They will bide their time and find bargains, waiting for their big strike.
Bosh was a huge loss, but this could turn out as a blessing in disguise. The last time the team struck out in its chase of a superstar power forward, Chris Webber spent much of his career’s remainder as a shell of his former self. This time, with Morey at the helm, I trust the contingency will be smarter than re-signing Moochie Norris and Mo Taylor.
