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Are The Miami Heat Using Goran Dragic Correctly?

By Gerald Bourguet

Oct 28, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 28, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 12, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) dribbles the ball past San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Pick And Roll

Dragic’s number of touches and time of possession are down, but they’re not THAT down. At least, they’re not down enough to explain why he’s only averaging 12.5 points and 4.3 assists per game — even on impressive .483/.429/.930 shooting splits.

The real culprit of Dragic’s early “struggles” lies with the team’s resistance to running pick and roll sets with the Dragon at the helm, almost as if Spoelstra never saw what Dragic and Channing Frye pick-and-pops did to opposing defenses in 2013-14. Once again, Miami is doing a severe disservice their 11th ranked offense, stopping a great offense from being potentially elite.

What’s even more concerning is that the Heat have the personnel to make pick-and-roll sets work. Dragic is one of the craftiest guards in the league out of pick-and-roll sets, while Bosh’s midrange and three-point shooting would make him the closest thing to a pick-and-pop threat that Dragic has enjoyed since working with Channing Frye.

With Luol Deng hoping to spread the floor better than he did last year and Bosh having proven himself as a perimeter shooter, there’s no reason for Miami to shy away from putting Dragic in more pick-and-roll sets.

Bosh isn’t the only big who would thrive setting on-ball screens for Dragic, however. The seven-foot Hassan Whiteside is an excellent alley-oop target no matter what kind of set Miami is running, but as a diver out of pick and rolls, he’d be downright lethal.

Even when the help defense would be able to pick him up, his diving toward the rim would suck the defense in and open things up for either Dragic or for Miami’s shooters on the perimeter. Even when the defense knows what’s going to happen, Whiteside’s length would be a real problem out of pick and rolls with the Dragon:

According to NBA.com, the Heat have run 50 pick-and-roll sets with Wade as the primary ball-handler and only 33 for Dragic. Wade’s 0.98 points per possession in those sets dwarfs Dragic’s 0.58 points per possession, but keep in mind that we’re working with a player who began the season out of shape, is playing with a whole new set of teammates and hasn’t gotten as many opportunities.

In order to incorporate Dragic and elevate this offense to the next tier, Spoelstra has to find a way to get his starting point guard involved in more pick-and-roll sets.

Next: In Transition

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