Truth & Rumors > NBA

10:40 PM ET 05.19 | One would think that NBA MVP LeBron James would be the Heat's most important player. But don't tell that to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who bestows that title upon Chris Bosh. ???He is our most important player for a reason,??? Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ???We???ve said that for three seasons. He allows everything to work on both ends of the court.??? Bosh has been excellent thus far in the playoffs, outplaying Joakim Noah in the Heat's second-round series victory over the Bulls. Bosh has played well on both sides of the floor, protecting the rim on defense and knocking down jumpers at a high rate on offense. Bosh will face another challenge in Roy Hibbert in the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami did have some struggles against Indiana in last year's postseason, but Bosh missed most of the series due to an abdominal injury.

Miami Herald

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10:12 PM ET 05.19 | The Cavaliers had their eye on Greg Oden earlier in the year, and they are still considering signing him in the offseason. Oden is working hard to make a return to the NBA, where he has not played since December 2009. The big man has been plagued by injuries his entire career, undergoing three microfracture surgeries as well as several other procedures. The 2007 No. 1 pick has played in just 82 games in his NBA career, posting averages of 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds with the Trail Blazers.

The Plain Dealer

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09:56 PM ET 05.19 | Dwight Howard has not given a strong indication on whether he plans to re-sign with the Lakers this offseason, and he reportedly does have his eyes on a few other possible destinations. Howard is said to be intrigued the most by the Rockets, who boast an impressive young core led by James Harden. Houston is a couple of small moves away from having the cap space to sign Howard. The other team Howard has interest in is the Mavericks, who also is just a minor move or two away from having the necessary space to sign the big man. The Lakers can offer Howard the most money on a new contract, but he wants to take his time and consider all options before coming to a final decision.

CBS Sports

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06:29 PM ET 05.19 | The New York Knicks are out of the NBA Playoffs and the team now has more than a few questions to answer about where the club will be when the season tips off in 2013. One of those question marks surrounds Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith and his plans for the future. He was teetering on the brink but after the Game 6 loss to the Pacers, there is likely nothing that will stop Smith from testing free agent waters this summer. All the way back in late April, sources told Moke Hamilton that Smith is "very, very likely" to decline his player option with the Knicks and see what he's worth to other teams in free agency. Should Smith sign with another team, it would mark the second straight year that the Sixth Man of the Year started the following season in a new uniform, and the Knicks won't be as in control of the situation as Oklahoma City was with James Harden.

Fansided

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06:29 PM ET 05.19 | The series will come down to one thing: can the Pacers take LeBron James out of the series? If the Pacers contain James and neutralize him, then they match up incredibly well against the Heat. Miami has struggled inside all season and the Pacers present a beefy, physical gameplan when it comes to whose bigs can out-rebound the other teams. Amazingly enough, with the Big 3 in town, the Heat have gotten by with a small-ball mentality and so far it's worked. But the Pacers aren't built like the Chicago Bulls or Milwaukee Bucks and can beat up the Heat all over the court with guys like Roy Hibbert and David West. But Paul George will be the biggest name to watch in the series as he'll be drawing heavy minutes defending LeBron James and working on making him as little a factor as possible.

Fansided

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