Thanks to the TrueHoop Network, I have the Synergy Sports database at my disposal for player evaluation.
The available data really underscores why Chris Bosh would be such a great fit with the Houston Rockets.
As a measuring stick, I used the numbers on Luis Scola because I felt he served as the comparison most conducive to conceptualization.
In 170 instances as the ‘roll man’ in pick&roll situations, Luis Scola shot 46%, scoring 47% of the time this past season.
By comparison, in 187 occurrences, Bosh shot 64%, scoring 63% of the time.
Anyone familiar with the personnel of this Houston Rockets team can easily imagine how such potency in the pick&roll could come as a boon. Having a ‘roll man’ as dangerous as Bosh would make this backcourt even deadlier as both Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin can already pull-up and create off the dribble.
But with Bosh, you wouldn’t exactly be sacrificing interior scoring. The 6’10 forward shot 53% on his 548 post-ups, scoring on 55% of these occasions.
By comparison, Scola shot 49%, scoring 46% of the time during his 375 attempts.
But what about the other end of the floor? Defense at the ‘4’ spot is imperative against the Western Conference’s powerhouses. Chuck Hayes has been lock-down in shutting down opponents, but to win a title, the team cannot rely on his presence beyond situational circumstances. To win without a superstar, all five players must be capable/potent scorers.
In post-up situations, Luis Scola’s man scored on 54% of the occasions, shooting 55% on these attempts. Against Bosh, on the other hand, opponents shot 43%, scoring on 43% of the attempts.
There’s a small minority that still believes this team would be best served standing pat with Luis Scola at the ‘4’. While Scola is a fine player, Chris Bosh he is not.
For many more reasons than just those outlined above, Chris Bosh will be worth every penny of the $16million he will earn next season and worth every last asset it would require the Houston Rockets to relinquish in a pursuit through trade.
