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He's the kind of guy you get to compliment the superstar.
Bosh: I'm the kind of player you can build around
By Marc Stein
DALLAS -- Don’t expect Chris Bosh to reveal his free-agent plans during his All-Star homecoming in Big D.
The Dallas native continues to insist that he doesn’t yet “have an answer” no matter how many people ask him to declare his intentions now.
He also notes that “things you like and dislike change daily,” which Bosh says makes it “impossible almost to not only predict the future but predict your feelings” when free agency is still more than four months away.
Bosh, though, did have some encouraging words for the Raptors’ edgy fan base to balance out the open-to-interpretation nature of those quotes when he sat down Thursday to tape an interview for ESPN Radio’s “Meet The All-Stars” show that airs Saturday night at 6 p.m.
First Bosh scoffed at folks who think he’s already made his decision to leave the league’s only Canadian franchise.
“He’s gone, it’s over, it’s done,” Bosh said in a mocking tone.
Then Bosh revealed that he’s not necessarily interested in playing anywhere that he’s not the clear-cut franchise player.
“That’s a good question,” Bosh said when asked by ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher if he’s bothered by the widespread perception that he’s determined to follow either LeBron James or Dwyane Wade by signing on with one of the teams they choose starting July 1.
“It’s funny you say that, because I was thinking about it. I was just looking at what people say and it’s like, ‘Chris is going to go here and play with him or this, this and that.’ I’m like, ‘Wait a minute.’ I feel like I should be built around. And maybe that’s just my ego talking, but I feel that I’m a very good player in this league and I’m only going to get better. So … maybe we should be getting somebody [in Toronto].”
Bosh is sure to field more probing questions about his future Friday when he meets the bulk of the media in town to cover All-Star Weekend. But the above comments, at the very least, give more insight into our assertion made back in November that Bosh likes his situation in Toronto more than many of us south of the border want to believe.
There’s still no guarantee that he’ll stay with the Raps, but it’s clear that the combination of playing in a cosmopolitan city he likes while also ranking as the unquestioned face of the franchise holds great appeal.
And Bosh’s Raptors, at the very least, have convinced the rest of the league that he is thoroughly unavailable in trade talks as the league’s Feb. 18 trading deadline approaches. Any serious discussion about his future is apparently on hold until after the season.
Yet Bosh did acknowledge that he will consult his Team USA colleagues James and Wade, for advice if nothing else, before re-signing with the Raptors or orchestrating a sign-and-trade move elsewhere.
“There’s nothing wrong with picking each guys' brain to see where they’re at and how they feel,” Bosh said. “I think talking to other people [is something] that'll help you make your decision a little bit more.”
Said Wade when asked during his own taping Thursday about behind-the-scenes lobbying: “It goes on at every All-Star Weekend. It’s been going on for the last couple [All-Star] weekends. It’s always fun to recruit. Everybody’s recruiting.”
He's the kind of guy you get to compliment the superstar.
Well that's really interesting.
It's always assumed Bosh would be cool being the 2nd star. But I guess he wants to be the #1 option.
Bosh is #2 guy in the mold of Pau Gasol.
A team with Bosh as its best player would have to be absolutely stacked to compete for a championship.
I think Bosh would be great in Chicago. Although they would lack post-scoring. But I think Rose's pentration ability would open things up like crazy for Bosh.
Rose
Hinrich
Deng
Bosh
Noah
Noah is essential here since he'll mask Bosh's weak D.
Throw in Joe Johnson or Wade would be even crazier but I don't think either of those guys leave.
I agree. For some reason, he doesn't post up enough in the paint. Maybe its because of his frame. If he had better post skills, he could be a number one option.
What an idiot, letting his ego keep him out of championship contention
Yes he is that type of player if he is on your team. You need a defensive center to overcome his short comings. You need a good rebound for all his bricks. You need a bench to overcome his shortcomings of making the starters suck.
Chris Bosh Doesn’t Want to Be Anyone’s Lieutenant
SportingNews
Several teams’ dream scenarios this summer involve landing two members of the vaunted 2010 free agent class. In most fantasies, one of those players is Chris Bosh, if only because a LeBron/Wade tandem would be so amazing that it’s not possible to imagine it.
But if Bosh’s latest quotes about the summer are to be believed, some of these teams need to readjust their plans. From Marc Stein:
First Bosh scoffed at folks who think he’s already made his decision to leave the league’s only Canadian franchise. “He’s gone, it’s over, it’s done,” Bosh said in a mocking tone.
Then Bosh revealed that he’s not necessarily interested in playing anywhere that he’s not the clear-cut franchise player. […]
“It’s funny you say that, because I was thinking about it. I was just looking at what people say and it’s like, ‘Chris is going to go here and play with him or this, this and that.’ I’m like, ‘Wait a minute.’ I feel like I should be built around. And maybe that’s just my ego talking, but I feel that I’m a very good player in this league and I’m only going to get better. So … maybe we should be getting somebody [in Toronto].”
It’s hard to tell if the Toronto talk is just a case of Bosh being nice to his current team, but it’s worth noting that he has always taken to Canada better than most stars drafted into the Great White North. American media coverage of the Raptors often treats Toronto like it’s a far-off destination with a moose for a mayor, but it’s a pretty fantastic city with a lot to offer a young basketball player. Bosh realizes that and may not want to leave.
But if he does move elsewhere this summer, his comments about his star status are telling. Last season, Bosh saw a dip in his production and the subsequent loss of his superstar status. But he’s been fantastic this year in leading the Raptors to the fifth-best record in the East after a slow start. It’s hard to make an argument that Bosh isn’t one of the best big men in the league and a max player worth building around.
So while a team-up with LeBron or Wade would be exciting, it might not be what Bosh wants now that he’s regained his spot on the list of the league’s best players. Playing next to one of the league’s top three players would lead to success, but not necessarily the kind of recognition Bosh might think he deserves. Now that his reputation’s back, he wants to keep it for a while.
Bosh is not a 1st option.
Lebron
Chris Paul
Wade
Kevin Durant
Dirk
are your 1st option players.
Bosh belongs with the rest
Bosh
Amare
P. Gasol
Joe Johnson
Boozer
Melo
I saw that you were missing a few names and fixed the list for you.
Kobe is a first option player.
I have a hard time putting Kobe on the 1st option list because he's declining this season. but he was a 1st option player a few years ago.
What the? Gasol, the MVP of the Lakers, is a second option now?
A second option wouldn't have lead the Lakers to the le last year, and now 3 straight victories this year, would he?
Fixed the list.
KG was the second option in Boston in 2007-2008, but he WAS the Celtics MVP.What the? Gasol, the MVP of the Lakers, is a second option now?
You fail there my sonny boy.
It's pretty clear Kobe is best suited as the 12th man on the bench and at best a third or fourth option, according to Kobe haters.
Son, you see how Gasol has this team running like a well-oiled machine? 3 straight games. And don't forget the playoffs last year. He was scoring, playmaking from the perimeter, playmaking from the post, rebounding, defending the other teams best perimeter player, making all the clutch shots, calling the plays, helping the--
Oh wait a minute, that was the other guy.
Or last year when his team won the le with him as the 1st option
True. Lakers dont even need Kobe to win it all. Even a guy like Brandon Roy could help these Lakers win a le.Son, you see how Gasol has this team running like a well-oiled machine? 3 straight games. And don't forget the playoffs last year. He was scoring, playmaking from the perimeter, playmaking from the post, rebounding, defending the other teams best perimeter player, making all the clutch shots, calling the plays, helping the--
Oh wait a minute, that was the other guy.
Ill give him last year. But this year, he has clearly declined. Lowest TS% of his career so far.Or last year when his team won the le with him as the 1st option
Playing with a broken finger most the year can do that to you. Now that he's finally getting some rest we'll see how he does the second half of the year.
As long as he knows he's second fiddle to Pau "MVP" Gasol.
bosh needs to be dominant on both ends to be a true franchise player. he's got the scoring and rebounding down, now he just has to play defense. otherwise, he's just a glorified carlos boozer.
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