MIAMI – As a 19-year-old thrust into the Toronto Raptors, Chris Bosh would carry himself with such inspiring confidence and an elevated sense of self. He had grown up idolizing Tim Duncan and arrived into his early pro workouts imagining the feeling of draining jumpers on Kevin Garnett. While finishing practice workouts as a rookie under the guidance of an assistant coach, Bosh would snap: “That’s over KG.”

Bosh faced up again, and another shot would fall. “Over KG,” he repeated. In his mind, Bosh was simply readying himself for the competitive lust needed in the NBA, needed against an enforcer like Garnett. Only now, his Miami Heat teammates have been left desperately wanting resemblance of that dogged Bosh, someone who once looked for ways to manipulate opponents inside using his versatility.

Across Game 1 of these NBA Finals on Thursday night, Bosh missed 10 of 16 shots and all four three-point attempts. He’s been searching for rhythm on his jumper for well over a week now, hitting just 16 of 50 shots over the past five playoff games, and yet Bosh made clear Friday afternoon that he’ll keep hoisting outside shots as long as he’s open.

“I’m trying to evolve, but it’s not easy, it’s difficult,” Bosh said. “Most big men are in different areas than I am, in a different offensive system than I am.

That’s a reasoned answer, and still the Heat’s message – LeBron James’ message – to Bosh all along has been to use his agile frame, his footwork and graceful touch to establish himself in the paint. Over and over, Bosh has tired out this explanation of how much he’s sacrificed with the Heat, how he has lost shots next to James and Dwyane Wade.

Everyone understands: Ten shots a game out of a perennial All-Star, who is perhaps the Heat’s second best player now, isn’t sufficient. Yet, people who have scouted the Heat this season believe Bosh has received ample touches to provide a stabilizing presence, opportunities dependent on the aggressiveness with which he pursues scoring.

“If he accepts the challenge to want to put pressure in the paint, he’ll have it,” James said. “We run our offense through CB mostly. We need that paint attack from him.”

The Heat need it largely because these San Antonio Spurs aren’t the Indiana Pacers; because Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter aren’t as physically taxing as Roy Hibbert and David West. Whenever James had the ball in Game 1, Kawhi Leonard wasn’t alone in his defense. Gregg Popovich had “triple-teamed me in the post,” LeBron said, and the cutters never came. There was too much standing around, praying for James to save them from ceding control of the Finals.

As Duncan went for post-up seals and pulled down 14 rebounds, Bosh kept hoisting flat jumpers. And remember, he hasn’t grabbed more than eight boards since May 10.

Near the end of the Eastern Conference Finals, Bosh broached memories of having Duncan’s posters as a child, as if he were emitting pride in that fact. When someone told Duncan about Bosh’s admission that came before the Heat had even reached The Finals, it surprised him. It shocked Duncan that Bosh revealed such admiration leading up to a championship series, that he had been entrenched in Bosh’s mind all this time later.

“It’s really odd to hear that, especially playing against someone like that,” Duncan said on Friday.

As James and Wade led a group of perimeter players in shooting halfcourt heaves before practice Friday inside AmericanAirlines Arena, Bosh was on the other end, staying to himself throughout workouts with Miami big men. A self-starter who gathers his thoughts in quiet, Bosh started off slow in these shooting drills: Jumpers rattling out, bouncing off the back rim.

“God damn it, God damn it,” he mumbled after missing several in a row. Soon, though, Bosh moved to the top of the key and pure swishes followed.

For all the theories about Wade’s struggles at times, Bosh is the member of the Big 3 who could have the most to lose in a potential Finals collapse: His place as an untouchable on the roster. He had grown up idolizing Duncan, imagining he was hitting jumpers atop Garnett in early workouts in Toronto, and the Heat must believe now that somewhere within Chris Bosh still exists that self-action to match the burden.