Miami Heat: Can Goran Dragic Lead A Playoff Run?

Can newly acquired point guard Goran Dragic lead the Miami Heat to the playoffs this season with Chris Bosh out for the year?

The Miami Heat were looking to improve their playoff chances at the trade deadline and acquired talented guard Goran Dragic from the Phoenix Suns. They sent out two first-round draft picks in the trade, but then found out that star forward Chris Bosh would miss the remainder of the season due to blood clots in his lungs.

After that news broke, Heat fans lost some hope in their teams ability to make a run at being playoff contenders. Despite the loss of Bosh, can Dragic help lead his new team to the playoffs this season?

Through his first two games with the Heat so far since the trade, Dragic has averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. His first game was very rough, but he scored 23 points to go along with 10 assists last night against the Philadelphia 76ers. Miami will need him to continue those types of games, but he has shown in the past that he is more than capable of doing just that.

One entertaining thing to watch last night against the 76ers, was the chemistry that Dwyane Wade and Dragic are already building together. If they can become the type of deadly one-two punch in the back-court that they have the ability to be, the Heat are going to be a very tough team to beat.

Dragic has picked the tempo up for the Heat on the offensive side of the basketball, and it should fit very nicely into what they have on the roster now. Wade’s health is still a major concern, but he looked back to normal against the 76ers. Now that the Heat have another legitimate scorer in the back-court, Wade won’t have to do all of the work.

Fans out in Phoenix are missing Dragic after seeing his early success in Miami, and understandably so.

Bosh averaged 21.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game this season, and will be missed in a big way. That being said, Dragic will bring a different dynamic to Miami’s lineup, and Hassan Whiteside is growing up each and every game.

There is no question that the Heat have a battle ahead of them with all of the teams competing for the seventh and eighth playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. Currently, Miami is the seventh seed in the East, but the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons are both playing hot basketball over the past few weeks. Miami isn’t going to be able to coast along like they have if they want a playoff spot.

That is one area that Dragic can help them, and he proved that last year with the Phoenix Suns. There were times where he would simply take a game over to pick up a big win for his team alongside of Eric Bledsoe. Wade actually compliments Dragic more than Bledsoe did, and there aren’t many teams that can guard Miami’s back-court.

Obviously the one main area of concern still for the Heat is their bench. Do they have enough depth to make a run while still giving Wade some rest?

Henry Walker (formerly known as Bill Walker) was a big pickup and scored 11 quick points in his debut against Philadelphia. He will be a major key moving forward, as will Chris Andersen and Mario Chalmers. Those three players are going to need to step up in a big way, and guys like James Ennis and Shabazz Napier will need to play consistently when they see the court as well.

Miami has all of the potential in the world to get on a run late in the season behind Dragic. He has the ability to score 20 each and every night, and if Wade can stay healthy he can do the same thing. Those two guys playing together and growing the chemistry that is already there is a dangerous thought for opposing defenses.

Losing Bosh is a big blow, but the Heat acquired Dragic at just the right time to help replace him.

Expect to see Dragic continue to get better as he gets more comfortable within Erik Spoelstra’s system. He will begin to play much more aggressively on the offensive side of the basketball like he did against the 76ers, and that will make the difference for the Heat. Miami is definitely a playoff caliber team, and Dragic will be the piece that takes them over the top this season.

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