Miami Heat: 5 goals for Goran Dragic in 2017-18

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5. Reduce turnover rate

While penetrating and attacking the defense is probably Dragic’s greatest strength, it also brings with it some risk.

Last season, Dragic averaged a career-high in turnovers at 2.9 per game, which was the 14th highest in the league. As a result, Dragic ranked 88th in the league for assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.0 — certainly not ideal as the team’s primary ball-handler.

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Over his 73 games played last season, Dragic committed four or more turnovers on 26 occasions. During this span of games, the Heat posted a 9-17 record. So clearly, there is a correlation between the success of the team and the manner in which their floor general handles the ball.

This was in stark contrast to the return of the Heat’s primary backup ball-handler in Tyler Johnson. Although not a certifiable point guard, Johnson certainly made strides win this department season, showing a great improvement in his handle in what was his first full season in the league. Over his 73 games, Johnson averaged just 1.2 turnovers per game, which included an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.59.

Despite his returns last season, Dragic has shown in the past that he’s capable of producing a far more acceptable assist-to-turnover ratio. In his first season as a full-time starter in 2012-13 with the Phoenix Suns, the Dragon recorded a ratio of 2.68, which featured a career-high of 7.4 assists per game.

To illustrate the difference in Dragic’s ball handling impact, the 6’3″ Slovenian had 16 games last season where he committed one or zero turnovers. Over this stretch of games, the Heat posted a 12-4 record.

So while the Heat won’t by any means want Dragic to tame his aggressive ways, this is nonetheless an area that needs addressing moving forward.

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