Chris Bosh: From Off the Bench To On Top in the 2012 Finals

No one knew if Chris Bosh would start in the NBA Finals, and he ended up outplaying the entire Thunder frontcourt.

This article uses Estimated Wins Produced. Since an average team's winning percentage is 0.500, an average player produces 0.100 estimated wins per 48 minutes (est.WP48). A star player produces 0.200 est.WP48 and great players produce 0.300 est.WP48. See the HEAT Produced Page for more information on Estimated Wins Produced.

OKC: Lost in the Bosh Pit

"Miami failed the big man test. They lacked that dominant big that controls the paint that is a hallmark of every Champion team." --Arturo Galletti from the Wages of Wins Journal NBA Finals Preview

According to The NBA Geek, Bosh produced 0.106 WP48 and 4.4 wins in the regular season while Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison combined to produce 0.145 WP48 and 14.6 wins.

Well... By the time the confetti was falling and Dom P was popping, Bosh had produced more wins in the 2012 Finals than Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison COMBINED. Bosh produced 0.142 est.WP48 and 0.541 est. wins while the OKC big men only combined to produce an estimated 0.498 wins.

Bosh's production was above average in every category of the box score except offensive rebounds, steals and assists.

Ibaka was above average in scoring but he scored less than Bosh and his shooting efficiency was below average from the floor and the free throw line. His production also suffered because he was a below average in rebounding and steals.

Perkins was below average in every category except rebounding. Collison was the only OKC big man whose production was above average, but he averaged 8.1 fouls per 48 minutes and Scott Brooks wasn't able to keep him on the court so his production was limited.

The spreadsheet below compares the stats of Bosh to Perkins, Ibaka and Collison.

See the HEAT Produced Page for more stats.

Bosh in the Middle, Now and Forever
This blog has been an advocate of Bosh playing center since last season. Hopefully, he's there to stay after the success he had in the Finals and the HEAT can stop experimenting with mediocre centers like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Erick Dampier, Ronny Turiaf and Dexter Pittman.

See the articles listed below for more on Bosh at center:

• Back to the Future with Bosh at Center
• Bosh: What's the Impact of His Loss?
• Bosh Holds the Keys to Greatness for the HEAT