Hassan Whiteside, Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson are reinvigorating the Heat

When the Miami Heat announced Chris Bosh would possibly miss the rest of the year due to another blood clot scare, another disappointing finish loomed on the horizon. Bosh was the team's best all-around player and an anchor on both ends of the court. Miami's season sputtered when he was forced to sit out at around the same time last year.

Instead, the Heat have actually improved as the season progressed this time around. Goran Dragic's improved play has helped, and Joe Johnson, signed after being waved by the Nets, has been a godsend.

But it's been the play of Hassan Whiteside, Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson, the Heat's three-headed monster off the bench, that has Miami really looking like a possible threat to LeBron James and the struggling Cavaliers. Whiteside understandably gets most of the publicity, but Winslow and Richardson have also emerged as key cogs and versatile weapons capable of taking out even the strongest of teams.

It's no accident that the trio has been the three-man lineup used most frequently by Erik Spoelstra since the All-Star Game, according to NBA.com. In those minutes, Miami is scoring 111.6 points per 100 possessions while surrendering just 102.7. The Bench Mob -- as they'd prefer to be known -- perfectly compliment each other's strengths and compensate for the weaknesses of some of Miami's starters.

Take Winslow, for example. Dwyane Wade and Johnson are too worn to be chasing the top dogs of opposing teams on defense. Winslow, on the other hand, has everything you look for in a wing stopper: Speed, quickness, strength, size, length and mental acumen.