National Basketball Association

Miami Heat 2016-17 player preview: Goran Dragic

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Goran Dragic enters the 2016-17 season as the man in charge for the Miami Heat. We take a look at how far he can lead this new-look team this season.

This season, Goran Dragic will be granted the wish he was after when he requested a trade from the Phoenix Suns to the Miami Heat – his own team. Having found himself in an unfortunate situation in Phoenix, the Heat swooped immediately and signed the aggressive point guard. And whilst he has to wait over 18 months playing idle next to Dwyane Wade, his time is now. And whilst the Heat have publicly stated they wanted to retain Wade, they really knew it was time to hand over the reigns.

Dragic’s responsibility to the team has further intensified due to the untimely departure of Chris Bosh. Furthermore, the Heat will be featuring three new regular starters. Last years rookies Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow will almost certainly sled into the two and three slots. Bosh’s place in the lineup still remains uncertain.

In the press-conference for his contract extension in 2015 featured in the video above, Dragic stated he prefers a fast pace and to attack. The makeup of the Heat for 2016-17 is clearly designed with this in mind. Quick and athletic players with ability to play multiple positions and shoot with range are a real feature of the team this coming season.

And with a host of new names, Dragic’s assertiveness and experience are going to be crucial to gel the playing group together.

Last season and breakout game

Dragic played in 72 games last season and finished with averages of 14.1 points per game, 5.8 assists per game in 32.8 minutes per game. He shot 47.7 percent from the field and had an average usage rate of 21.9. These numbers are certainly steady, but not outstanding. Dragic had a particularly slow start to the season, posting numbers of 11.6 points per game, 5.2 assists per game whilst shooting 44.9 percent from the field over the first 30 games of the season. The average usage rate of 18.9 was particularly low.

He since has admitted that his slow start was primarily due to a lack of preparation and an adjustment period early in the season of living alone whilst his family was back in his native Slovenia.

His most productive and efficient game last season came on March 11 against the Chicago Bulls. In 31 minutes, Dragic had 26 points and nine assists on 10-of-16 shooting from the field. He had a usage rate of 28.7 and was a +29 whilst on the court. As can be seen in the above video, Dragic displayed his vast array of offensive talents. Driving to the rim, driving and setting up the three-point shot, running floaters in the lane and pulling and draining the three himself just some of the skills on show. Setting up Josh Richardson behind the three-point line was very noticeable, and will be something the Heat will be looking forward to seeing more of this season.

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

What Dragic does well

Dragic greatest strength is attacking the defence and getting to the rim. By doing this, he is highly proficient at either finishing the play himself or setting up his teammates in a variety of ways. When he is able to use his aggressive mindset in combination with his speed and ball handling, it can be a lethal weapon for the Heat. Last season per Basketball Reference, Dragic converted on 64.4 percent of his shots attempted at the rim. For a 6-foot-4 point guard, this is exceptional. And the fact that this made up 54.2 percent of his total made field goals indicates this is clearly his greatest asset.

With the added bonus this season of being in charge, these numbers could be even greater. During his breakout season of 2013-14, Dragic hit an amazing 70 percent of his shots attempted at the rim. As Pat Riley noted during Dragic’s press conference video on the previous page, “A lot of big guys don’t finish like that.”

Another example of Dragic’s impact when aggressive came last season. He played in 44 games in which he attempted 12 or more field goals. He averaged 17.4 points per game and 6.3 assists per game whilst shooting 49.6 percent from the field. With the ability to do this on a regular basis, these numbers could certainly become even more impressive.

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

What Dragic doesn’t do well

Although it’s not a glaring weakness, Dragic’s perimeter shooting is one area that can be cause for concern. Last season, Dragic hit at a 31.9 percent clip from the three-point line. These attempts made up 28.7 percent of his total attempts, which is certainly not ideal. Further, per NBA.com, field goal attempts classified as a jump shot were converted at a 33.9 percent clip. The main summation from all this is that Dragic’s outside game is certainly not a strength.

Furthermore, Dragic has not shown a great ability to play off the ball. Granted, this will not be the case as often as often as last season. But with Dion Waiters, Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson all having the ability to handle the ball, Dragic needs to be more versatile on the offensive end. It will naturally give the Heat more options and less predictability when it comes to attacking the defence.

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The 2016-17 Season

Dragic will come close to being the most determined of any player on the Heat roster this season. As mentioned earlier in this piece, Dragic had a very slow start to last season, primarily due to a lack of preparation. With Wade out of the picture, this definitely cannot be the case again this season. Team president Pat Riley was firm on this issue when pressed following the Heat’s last playoff exit.

“I said, you can’t use that excuse next year; it’s over,”‘ Riley said in May. “We already gave you the I-wasn’t-settled, I-wasn’t-in-shape, so he’s got a free summer, and he’s happy, he’s healthy and so his number-one objective is to come back in October in better shape and a better play, and also improved.”

Reading this quote, Riley certainly has very high standards for Dragic this season. He also stated that the optimal return for Dragic would be a 50-40-80 season return. (This refers to the shooting percentage return for field goals, three-pointers and free-throws). Whilst its clearly a high ceiling to reach, its not unprecedented for Dragic. In his career-best season of 2013-14, Dragic posted a 50-40-76 shooting return.

That 2013-14 season saw Dragic lead an unheralded Phoenix Suns team to 48 wins and the brink of the playoffs. It can be easily argued that on paper, this Heat team has more upside in comparison. It certainly ensures an interesting storyline to follow.