By Shandel Richardson, Sun Sentinel –
A few years ago, it would have been different for Chris Bosh.
He was the exact opposite of those he would line up against on the basketball court. Bosh was single. He had no kids. He had yet to learn how to pay bills, or act like a “grown man.”
Now, that’s no longer the case.
Bosh has the traits he defined as what the center position used to be in the NBA. He’s set to make the full-time move from power forward for the Miami Heat, becoming the latest of undersized players to attempt the transition.
“Quite frankly, it was just different (then),” said Bosh, who is entering his 10th season. “You’re 24 or 23 years old going up against dudes with hair on their chests. It’s different with kids. They’re going to football practice, and they got babies. I’m trying to play against these grown men and I still had Simulac on my breath.”
The Heat feel Bosh is more than ready to face the rigors of playing in the middle. He attempts to join the likes of Dave Cowens, Ben Wallace, Willis Reed and Moses Malone to have success at the position despite possessing non-traditional size.
“Now, I’m married,” Bosh said. “I got kids, soccer practice soon. A little bit hair on his chest.”
In other words, Bosh is ready.
At 6-foot-11 and 235 pounds, he should have an easier adjustment than his predecessors. The position no longer has bruisers such as Shaquille O’Neal, Patrick Ewing or David Robinson. With the exception of Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum, Bosh will face competitors who are mostly glorified power forwards.
Bosh said the move is “over analyzed” because the evolution at center.
“The game was different back then,” he said.
“The game changes every now and then. At that point, it was all about girth. You have to be big, Anthony Mason and Charles Oakley and Patrick Ewing and Vlade Divac. It’s different now. The game is a lot faster. If you’re big, we’re going to run right by you.
Bosh played most of last season at center after coach Erik Spoelstra realized he was the best option. The Heat had experimented with Joel Anthony and Ronny Turiaf before making a switch that ultimately was vital in winning the title.
Bosh was often quicker and possessed a better outside game than the opposition. The plan this season is to use a similar strategy, with Bosh playing mostly around the mid-range area with the occasional post-up.
“You have to use quickness and speed to beat people to the spot defensively,” said former NBA All-Star center Jack Sikma, who at 6-11 was considered undersized during the 1980s.
“That’s the biggest thing. You have to beat the big guy down the court, get there early and battle him from there. Your strengths are your quickness and range to counter the size.”
Sikma said the state of the game should also benefit Bosh, especially rules changes and updated offensive philosophies. Offenses are geared more toward perimeter scorers than centers, meaning Bosh won’t have to work as hard on the defensive end.
“When I played there was a little more one-on-one in the post,” Sikma said.
“The defensive rules were different back then. We had to use our chest more opposed to our hands to maintain position. Today, if you’re smaller, you can get a little lower with your body and try to hold people off.”
No one displayed those advantages better recently than Wallace, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year. He played the position despite being 6-9, becoming one of the league’s marquee players. Wallace slowed Shaquille O’Neal in the 2004 NBA Finals, helping the Detroit Pistons upset the Los Angeles Lakers.
That success made it easier for teams to experiment with smaller centers.
The Orlando Magic’s Glen Davis, at 6-9, has split time at power forward and center throughout his career. Chuck Hayes (6-6) and Boris Diaw (6-8) have also made recent impacts at the position, their quickness suited for up-tempo styles.
“There’s no disadvantages,” Davis said. “You just play basketball. You can say you’re 7-2 or, ‘I’m 6-8.’ But you’ve got to go out there and get it done. It’s all about your heart, because everybody has talent. It’s the will to win, the will to get it done. That’s all that matters.”
Davis said Bosh playing center will benefit the Heat offensively, but his success will depend on how he defends the remaining traditional centers, Howard and Bynum.
“I think he’s capable of it depending on who he’s guarding,” Davis said.
“Can he guard Andrew Bynum? Can he guard a Dwight Howard? I don’t think so. But it’s about doing what you know how to do the best way you can. There’s ways to guard different guys, because I know I’ve mastered a way of guarding bigger guys. So he’ll have to master his way of guarding a bigger guy.”
