The Miami Heat had their five-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday night when they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. Before the loss, Miami was playing some great basketball and looking like the team that could compete with the Cavaliers - the team everybody thought it might be.
While the loss was a bit discouraging, it has gotten some good injury news in the last week. The first thing was Tyler Johnson saying he thinks a return this season is realistic after having shoulder surgery. Getting Johnson back would be huge, but the bigger news is about Chris Bosh, who says he has no active blood clots.
Since it was revealed that he had a blood clot in his calf at the All-Star break, the updates on Bosh have been few and far between. There have been reports about how he is doing but nothing definitive from him or the team besides him tweeting that he feels great. On Thursday morning though, Bosh finally provided an update when he released a statement saying that he "remains positive" he will be able to return this season.
Bosh has been working with team doctors and making sure he is healthy before he even considers playing again, but he is intent on returning and has been since the initial diagnosis. While this is huge news for the Heat, it also must be noted that the statement was released by Bosh, not the team. Players tend to be extremely optimistic when it comes to injuries and timetables, so while Bosh is confident he will return, it remains unknown.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Bosh was working out with the coaching staff and getting some shots up. While it is unclear what the next steps are for the 31-year-old power forward, it would seem logical that they would ramp up activity after this update. Miami though, has made it clear that it will not clear Bosh for a return if there is even the slightest doubt that it could risk his health.
This update is very good news for the Heat - and Bosh - but there is still a long way to go before he is playing again. The Heat will have to be convinced that playing again is a good idea, especially since this is his second blood clot issue in the past two seasons. With Bosh, the Heat are real threats to win the Eastern Conference, without him they likely are not. But even with all that said, the Heat will prioritize Bosh's health over winning, as they should.
