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Goran Dragic will see a reunion with the man that was the face of the Miami Heat franchise for the better part of the last two decades, Dwyane Wade.
Contrary to prior reports that said the two couldn't coexist in the same team, The Dragon noted their lack of apparent chemistry was a byproduct of him still getting a feel for the roster in place, as he was traded to the Heat by the Phoenix Suns, playing the last 26 games of the 2014-15 season.
“People (got) this wrong, they said me and D-Wade we didn’t co-exist or something,” Dragic said, according to Tom D'Angelo of The Palm Beach Post. “You know when you come to a new team it’s hard to find your spot at first. We had (Chris Bosh) at first, we had D-Wade, Joe Johnson, Luol Deng; there were a lot of players they were good and you just need time to adjust and fit into the system.”
Dragic eventually got acquainted and has seen some of the best years of his professional career under the guidance of Erik Spoelstra — most-recently taking over the mantle after Wade's departure last season, putting up 20.3 points and 5.8 assists per game in 73 games.
“You could see the last year together we demonstrated we can play together,” added Dragic in reference to last year's comeback kids.
Now Dragic is at the position where he is the decision-maker in the backcourt with Wade adjusting to him after coming from the Cleveland Cavaliers during the trade deadline.
“That was never a concern for me, maybe for you guys outside this locker room,” Dragic said. “I had a great relationship with him. He helped me a lot. I always said that. I’m happy to have him here. You know in the playoff run we had we we played well together. So, it is what it is, regardless of what people said.”
Spoelstra has not committed to starting Wade, noting the benefits of bringing a player of his caliber from the bench, but it could be a move to consider if it can boast the team's all-around firepower with Dion Waiters out for the season.
