Should Chris Bosh have made the Hall of Fame this season?

BD: There’s no question that Chris Bosh should have been a finalist for the Hall of Fame this year. He played an enormous role in Toronto with the Raptors, and was largely responsible for their only two playoff appearances from 2002 until 2013. In Miami, Bosh’s presence was undeniable and his acceptance of a changed role ushered in a new era of big men and the acceptance of small-ball. The result of that? Two back-to-back NBA Championships and four NBA Finals appearances.

Prior to the blood clots diagnosis, Bosh was the Alpha in Miami and looked incredibly deserving of the max contract he signed to stay with the Heat after LeBron left. In case you forget how dominant he was during those years:

I maintain to this day (and am happy to argue on Twitter) that with Bosh available, Miami makes the Finals in 2015-2016. It’s a shame that we never got to experience Bosh’s post Big Three years in full. But let’s face it 2 championships, 11 All-Star selections, an Olympic gold medal and a career average of 19.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.0 apg with a 49% field goal percentage even with my full blown Heat bias, that’s one hundred percent worthy of a first ballot Hall of Fame selection.

DQ: Yes. Although Bosh has not had a career on the level of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett, he should have made the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Bosh reinvented his game to become a critical third piece on two NBA championship teams. He also made 11 All-Star teams. For comparison, Alonzo Mourning — who is in the Hall of Fame — made seven All-Star teams.

The one knock on Bosh may be that he only has one All-NBA selection on his résumé. But Mourning only made All-NBA twice.

What has been Chris Bosh’ impact on today’s game?

DQ: After the 2011 NBA Finals, Erik Spoelstra encouraged Chris Bosh to develop range out to the 3-point line. He did, and his increased range helped space Miami’s offense with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade attacking in the paint. Over the next several seasons, we saw more and more big men develop range out to the 3-point line. Although Dirk Nowitzki preceded Bosh as a big with range, Bosh’s 3-point range helped create the modern NBA game.

BD: Like Diego explained, I think Bosh helped demonstrate how effective a true shooting big man could be in the NBA. As the NBA evolved and phased out the traditional big man, Bosh evolved becoming a real three point threat. In his last two seasons, Bosh’s three point percentage rose from 33% in 2013 to 37% from 2014-2016. He was a capable passer, an amazing rebounder (I think Ray Allen would agree) and his versatility really paved the way for modern Centers.

If he was still able to, how would Bosh’s impact be felt on the floor today/over the last few seasons? How do you think it would have influenced modern Heat history?

BD: If Bosh’s medical diagnosis doesn’t force him out of the league, I think he’s still playing and acting in a key role for the Miami Heat. As I mentioned before, I think Miami makes a real play at the NBA Finals in 2016 (especially with key Cavs getting injured all playoffs) and the Heat never get in a position to have the (11-30, 30-11) season. This likely means Whiteside plays a very different role with the Heat, and maybe Wade never leaving to go to Chicago.

The hypothetical situations are endless, but it’s clear the Riley felt he was close to making a play at another chip when he invested in Dragic. It’s a shame we never got to experience a full season of the Dragic/Bosh connection, because it was a thing of beauty and could still be happening today:

DQ: The biggest way it could have affected modern Heat history is to prevent Hassan Whiteside from getting a max contract from the Heat. The Heat first signed Whiteside in 2014-15, but his minutes grew after Bosh went down for the year. (And in fairness, Whiteside had some good years for Miami.) But if Bosh never goes down, perhaps the Heat don’t view Whiteside as a player they need to keep in 2016 free agency.

That question depends on how good the trio of Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic could have been. They only played together during the 2015-16 season, up until the All-Star break (Bosh suffered his first blood clot right after Miami’s trade for Dragic in 2015). And while Miami looked good at times, it’s hard to see how the Heat could have beaten the LeBron James-led Cavaliers.

What is Chris Bosh’s Miami Heat legacy?

DQ: Bosh has so many legacies with the Miami Heat. It’s sacrificing shot attempts to become a key cog on a championship team. It’s developing into a swarming defensive presence to anchor the Heat’s sophisticated defensive system. And, of course, there was the biggest offensive rebound in Heat history — the one that gave Ray Allen a clean look at one of the biggest shots in NBA Finals history.

BD: “Rebound Bosh... Back out to Allen... his 3-pointer...”⁣⁣ Bosh’s effort on this play led to one of the greatest shots of NBA Finals’ history and that’s just the tip of the iceberg for his Miami Heat legacy. He played a huge role in both Heat championships, and in many classic playoff series. He handled games by himself when necessary, and came through in the clutch whenever it was asked of him. He was able to adapt and excel at an elite in an evolving NBA. He also invented the modern post-game video bomb, nobody else comes close. He’s a Heat legend and it’s great to see him still involved with the organization.

Is it better that Bosh isn’t in this selection, with such a star-studded group?

BD: Kobe’s untimely death, and incredible legacy will be the largest part of this induction ceremony as it should be. Yes, there are some huge names who will be inducted as well with KG and Tim Duncan getting nods. But still, Bosh is deserving of standing on stage with this group. So yes, he might get more recognition in another class, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s as deserving as the other greats in this class.

DQ: Kobe Bryant’s tragic death will swallow the entire Hall of Fame induction ceremony. We won’t see Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan — two great players, and in Duncan’s case, someone in the top-15 — have nearly as much attention as Bryant will this year. In one sense, it would be good to have Bosh recognized the same year as other all-time greats will be. But in another sense, perhaps Bosh will have more recognition in a year without Bryant and Duncan among the nominees.