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Goran Dragic Worth More Than Numbers To Miami Heat

By Michael Dunlap

Mar 22, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) brings the ball up the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) brings the ball up the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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In the world of the NBA, it’s a big mistake to solely look at statistics when considering whether a player is worth a certain salary. The Miami Heat have a decision to make with soon-to-be free agent Goran Dragic (player option for 2015-16)  — and it goes beyond his already impressive statline.

Don’t get me wrong, Gogi has impressed on the court. In his 26 games with the Heat, he averaged 16.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 80.8 percent from the foul line. His PER in those games was an 18.8, which represented the second-best number he’s posted in any stop during his seven-year career.

Perhaps even more important than those numbers was the fact that Dragic was able to get back to playing more point guard, where he’s much more comfortable. According to basketball-reference.com, he played just seven percent of his minutes in Phoenix at the point, compared to 58 percent in Miami. This enabled him to get back to doing what he does best — get to the basket and finish (at a 68.6 percent clip inside three feet).

In 1,735 minutes in Phoenix, Dragic drew 44 shooting fouls and completed just 12 and-1’s.

In 905 minutes in Miami, Dragic drew 38 shooting fouls and completed 11 and-1’s.

RELIABILITY

But, those are just numbers. There’s a bigger picture here. Although the Heat already have some strong lockerrroom leaders in Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem, they lost their most reliable leader when LeBron James moved his talents back away from South Beach.

With all due respect to one of the greatest shooting guards to ever play the game, players can only be so valuable sitting on the bench, the training table, or at home. Dragic has played in 95.1 percent (297 of 312) of his team’s games over the last four seasons. Teammates can count on him to be one of the toughest, most durable players on the team — despite his penchant for hitting the floor.

How about late game situations, when the team needs a bucket? It’s a small sample size, but Dragic was a plus-15 in the 10 minutes he played with the Heat when the game was in the last minute and within five points.

PERSONABILITY

Feb 21, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (left) talks with guard Shabazz Napier (right) before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (left) talks with guard Shabazz Napier (right) before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Ask any media member in Houston, Phoenix or Miami and they’ll tell you that Dragic is one of the nicest, most personable athletes you’ll ever find. He gives his time to the media and the fans generously, despite having a wife and toddler at home and another baby on the way.

How is that important in basketball terms? That’s simple — these guys spend a lot of time together. The grind of an NBA season is real and the relationship between players and the media can be a contentious one. Having a guy like Dragic in the lockerroom takes pressure off the less friendly players who would rather shy away from the cameras and microphones.

From the outside that may seem like a small deal but from the inside, it’s a lot of pressure when you’re the one being asked about everything every single night. We saw it here in Phoenix, as after Dragic left, the media scrum trended more towards Eric Bledsoe, P.J. Tucker and Brandan Wright.

The Heat aren’t in an advantageous cap position for 2015-16, as without Dragic, they still have $73.6 million on the books, assuming Wade ($16.5 million option) and Luol Deng ($10.1 million option) pick up their options. However, things clear up considerably in 2016-17, as only Chris Bosh, Josh McRoberts, Shabazz Napier (option) and James Ennis are on the books.

Pat Riley and the Heat brass need to look to the future and need to pair Bosh with another star player. There’s no question in my mind, the 29-year-old from Slovenia is the right pick.

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