Chris Bosh Injury: Fans Shouldn't Expect Legendary Heroics from Star

Chris Bosh appears to be on track to return from an abdominal strain he suffered in Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers, but that doesn't mean he'll be making a surprise return anytime soon.

According to head coach Erik Spoelstra, optimism about the star power forward's recovery should be tempered with caution (via SI.com's staff).

"I wouldn't over-read into his workout yesterday, " Spoelstra said Monday. "We'll continue to reevaluate him every day. He'll continue to do his rehab. When he starts legitimate basketball work, I'll pay attention a little bit more. "

Until the team releases a timetable for Bosh's return, speculation will be understandably rampant. But, even if Bosh could accelerate his return to the lineup, there are plenty of reasons he probably shouldn't.

This is no time for a Willis Reed-style, against-all-odds comeback.

The nature of Bosh's injury makes it inherently difficult to predict when he'll be ready to go. If he comes back early and reaggravates the strain, it could compromise Miami's shot at a title—the last thing this team needs against the likes of the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder.

More importantly, the Heat have developed a rhythm without Bosh.

That isn't to say he wouldn't immediately make this a better team, but the Eastern Conference Finals aren't exactly the best time to reintegrate an injured player into a squad that's clicking—even when that injured player is the third-best guy on the team.

143527750_crop_650x440 Marc Serota/Getty Images

The success LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have had in Bosh's absence has no doubt restored the duo's confidence to championship levels.

Until that dynamic shows any signs of slowing down, it's best to play it safe with Bosh.

In his last two games against Boston, Bosh scored a combined 17 points while shooting just 7-of-24 from the field.

That's certainly not a compelling sample size of information—after all, he scored a very efficient 18 points against those same Celtics back in December.

But, Bosh was anything but consistent against the Celtics in last year's Eastern Conference Semifinals. He averaged just 12. 8 points on 40 percent shooting in that series, by far his worst of the 2011 postseason.

If Bosh were certifiable Kryptonite against these Celtics, maybe the club should consider an accelerated return schedule—and that's a big "maybe. " Given the reality at hand, though, Bosh is better off eschewing the heroics and playing it smart.

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