Bosh tells Heat he won't return for playoffs
The Miami Heat won't have power forward Chris Bosh back for the playoffs.
Bosh - who suffered blood clots for a second straight year, and has been out since the All-Star break - admitted to his Heat teammates Friday that he "doesn't have the ability to be in it," Dwyane Wade told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
Heat point guard Goran Dragic also said Bosh's speech to the team left him with goose bumps.
"It's really tough for him because he wants to be part of this on the court and it's really hard to watch," Dragic said. "It's a tough situation for him but we need him. Even if he's not going to play, his ability to talk to the players, to show what you're doing wrong or how you're supposed to do it, it's big time."
The 32-year-old was all set to play in his 11th All-Star game when the clots were discovered in his leg. Bosh started taking blood thinners, but stressed that the situation was not as serious as the one he faced a year ago, when the clot made its way to his lung. He resumed physical activity in mid-March, and said he was hopeful he'd be able to return at some point this season.
In 53 games, Bosh averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, while knocking down a career-best 1.5 threes a game on 36.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc. His 20.2 PER was his best such mark since joining the Heat in 2010.
Miami managed to win the competitive Southwest Division without Bosh, and will open the postseason at home against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.