It has been an interesting year for Slovenian guard Goran Dragic as he tried to wiggle his way back to the starting lineup of the Miami Heat.
After starting all but 14 of his 282 games in Miami prior to the 2019-2020 NBA season, Dragic was pushed to a reserve role this campaign. However, from the looks of it, the situation has worked wonders not just for him but also for the Heat — with the south Beach franchise just a few games away from making it back to the NBA Finals.
“I was never concerned about the role on this team,” Goran Dragic told Sekou Smith of NBA.com (via Slam Online) “That’s not how we operate. That’s not the way this team is built. Coach told me what he needed and it’s my job to do what needs to be done. That’s all.”
It was undrafted rookie Kendrick Nunn who manned the point all-season long, which helped the Heat finish the regular season as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Nunn, unfortunately, contracted the coronavirus in July. It resulted to him being sidelined as the season restarted in Orlando and Dragic being pushed to start again for Miami. Good thing, the Slovenian was a true veteran and was more than ready for his call-up.
“I accept my role coming from the bench and I think so, that helped me a lot in my career, especially with Spo putting me in the right position and my teammates as well. From there on, it’s easy to play because I don’t have no worries, I’m just free. I’m just playing out there and having fun,” the Heat veteran shared.
In the 2020 playoffs, Dragic has started all of Miami's 10 games so far and has been one of the most consistent players for the Heat inside the bubble. He is currently averaging 21.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.
The Dragon's contributions have been key to Miami's 9-1 playoff record, and if the Heat want to continue on their amazing run, they might have to go all-in on Dragic.
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