Hoops Habit
Fansided

Miami Heat: 3 bold predictions for 2019-20 NBA season

By Simon Smith

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 21: Justise Winslow #20 of the Miami Heat high fives Dion Waiters #11 against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on February 21, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Heat 106-102. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 21: Justise Winslow #20 of the Miami Heat high fives Dion Waiters #11 against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on February 21, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Heat 106-102. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

2. Goran Dragic wins the Sixth Man of the Year award

Goran Dragic’s 11th season in the league was by far his most frustrating. Just one season removed from being named a first-time All-Star, a nagging knee complaint that eventually required surgery meant Dragic appeared in a career-low 36 games.

As a result, Dragic found himself coming off the bench to back up Justice Winslow. Considering it was the first time since Nov. 10, 2013, that Dragic had played as a reserve when dating back to his days with the Phoenix Suns, this is some adjustment for the now 33-year-old.

In his 14-game stretch as a reserve, Dragic posted a respectable 12.6 points and 3.4 assists in just 22.4 minutes per game. Most notably, the .440/.426/.813 shooting line was a great improvement over his overall numbers for the season, whereby his overall 41.3 percent shooting clip from the field representing the lowest return since his 2008-09 rookie season. As a whole, Dragic’s shooting numbers can be broken into the number of minutes he played per game:

Dragic’s shooting breakdown from the field:

  • 30+ minutes (14 games): 44.6 percent
  • Less than 30 minutes (22 games): 40.8 percent

https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1101150033540497408?s=20

Dragic’s 14 games in the second unit featured four games of at least 20 points, which included a 27-point outing in the Heat’s exhilarating home win over the Golden State Warriors.

Entering his 12th season and with over 22,000 minutes on his odometer, the time has possibly arrived where both the Heat and Dragic would be benefited if the 33-year-old would take on a lesser role and shore up the second unit.

Overall, the Heat finished fourth in bench scoring last season with 43.5 points per game. However, the makeup of that has changed significantly.  In addition to the retirement of Dwyane Wade and the 15.0 points per game he averaged last season, the Heat also dealt away Wayne Ellington and Tyler Johnson just before last seasons trade deadline. When you add in Josh Richardson’s departure this past summer, that’s a lot of backcourt depth going out the door.

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1169621463151890434?s=20

To provide some stability and genuine scoring punch, now appears the right time for Dragic to transition into this role. Entering the last year of his deal, Dragic will no be doubt be determined to prove he’s able to perform at a high level beyond this season, whether it be with the Heat or elsewhere.

Considering he was also close to being dealt this offseason as part of the Butler deal, a fired-up Dragic in a reserve role could only be a positive. Considering Jamal Crawford won his third and final Sixth Man of the Year award at age 36, there’s no reason why Dragic, with a full season of adapting to the position, couldn’t do something similar in what is a critical juncture of his career.

Home/Miami Heat