Miami Heat starting lineup: Ranking all five starters

3. Goran Dragic, point guard

A brief glance at last year’s starting lineups would not show Goran Dragic very often. After multiple injury-plagued seasons, the Miami Heat chose to manage the minutes of their point guard by bringing him off the bench behind rookie Kendrick Nunn.

That changed in the postseason, as the focus changed from longevity and maintenance to winning every single game. Dragic saw his minutes go up from 28 to 32.5 minutes per game as he started 16 of 17 games that he played in. When the games mattered the most, Dragic was again a member of the starting lineup.

The question becomes whether Dragic will again be conserved in a bench role, or if he will start alongside Duncan Robinson in a smooth-shooting backcourt. While the Heat could lean on either option or a combination of both, two factors indicate he will start this season.

First, Dragic is a better fit alongside the other starters. Bench units often paired Dragic with Tyler Herro and Kelly Olynyk, which was potent offensively but troublesome defensively. As a starter, his defensive shortcomings have more support. Additionally, pairing the on-ball Dragic with the off-ball Robinson is perfect, while Nunn and Herro can both share the load as not-quite lead guards.

Secondly, Dragic is the best playmaking guard this team has, at least until Tyler Herro grows into his own. He proved himself during the postseason run last year, and the untimely injury that sidelined him for much of the NBA Finals hurt significantly. With the Eastern Conference looking stronger than it has in a long time, the Heat will need to battle for homecourt advantage. Dragic as the starter is their best chance to do so.