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Chris Bosh plans to re-establish post presence in LeBron's absence

Brendan Maloney / Reuters

Chris Bosh's offensive evolution, from a big man who mostly operated in the post to a diverse big who does most of his damage from 16 feet and beyond, helped the Miami Heat spread their offense and capture two NBA championships.

Bosh went on record during the postseason, saying the old version of himself was likely gone for good. “I don’t bang anybody anymore. It’s a tired thing for me. It’s not my strength and I understand that," he said. 

But with LeBron James taking his talents and his touches back to Cleveland, Bosh should take on the primary role in Miami's offense. To do so, the nine-time All-Star acknowledges he'll have to reroute his game to spend more time down low.

“I had to play the role for the championships. I feel that I’m back to doing what comes naturally for me, which is being back in the post, being more aggressive," Bosh said, via the Sun Sentinel. "I’m really excited to show the city of Miami what I have.”

Bosh also said that he's kept that part of his game sharp despite changing his style of play. 

“It’s just like riding a bike. You never forget," he said. "I have a lot of experience, years and years. Even though I didn’t get much experience, I always worked on it because I knew I was going to keep it sharp.”

In Bosh's last season with the Toronto Raptors (2009-10), more than 56 percent of his field-goal attempts came within 10 feet of the basket, according to Basketball Reference. Last season, just 38.6 percent of Bosh's attempts came within 10 feet, while over 50 percent of his shots came outside of 16 feet.

If Bosh can successfully combine the interior game that saw him average 24.0 points and 10.8 rebounds in Toronto, with the floor stretching game he mastered over the last four seasons, the Georgia Tech product could be a devastating offensive force.

Bosh is also a much better defender and a more complete player than he was four years ago, though whether he can maintain that complete game while taking on the bulk of Miami's offensive responsibilities remains to be seen.

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