4 Things To Look Forward To From Goran Dragic Next Season
Although Dwyane Wade’s future with the Miami Heat is still up in the air, Heat Nation certainly has something else to celebrate: Goran Dragic’s new 5-year, $90 million contract. While Dragic’s return was rumored (and hoped for), it was not officially confirmed until early Wednesday morning.
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To many people’s surprise, the guard’s deal actually came at a lower rate than initially speculated. This of course could help the Heat in luring Wade back to South Beach for the end of his career. With Dragic not taking as much money, the team is left with more to offer to other prospects. And obviously their top priority right now is bringing back the face of the organization.
Despite it only being day two of free agency, Miami fans are already anxious to know what Wade’s future will hold. For the most part, everyone seems to want him back, and logically this should be the case. However, if both parties still cannot reach a happy medium regarding his contract, there are other teams interested in the 33-year-old superstar.
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While Wade’s decision is still a concern, even without him, the team is slowly shaping up. With Chris Bosh expected to make a full recovery, Deng and Dragic returning, Whiteside continuously improving and Justise Winslow coming aboard, the Heat should have a much better season this time around.
So, in the spirit of looking towards the future, here are four things to look forward to from Goran Dragic.
1. The Addition of a Cool Nickname
Mar 28, 2015; Guiyang, China; Dragon dancers perform during opening ceremonies in the 2015 IAAF World cross country championships at the Qingzhen Training Base. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Look, no one calls Wade “Flash” anymore. And while CB is a great way to quickly get Bosh’s name out there, it is merely an abbreviation. Michael Beasley once again no longer has a spot on the team, so there will be no one to call B-Easy. And Tyler “Bumpy” Johnson is pretty tragic. Therefore, Miami is left with “Birdman.” A classic, true, but how great will it be to refer to Dragic as “The Dragon?” It brings a smile to my face just typing it out.
2. Zoran Dragic
While “The Dragon” 2.0 can certainly come off the bench in a time of need (remember his 22 point game against the Philadelphia 76ers?), I more so am looking forward to more brothers Dragic shenanigans. I mean, hello, does it get any better than this photo? I think not.
3. Playing Alongside Chris Bosh
January 14, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Miami Heat center Chris Bosh (1) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Unfortunately, we have yet to see Dragic and Bosh on the court together. If you recall, Dragic was acquired minutes before the trade deadline, which in turn was right before news of Bosh’s blood clots was released. Bosh was then ruled out for the remainder of the season, never allowing for this tremendous union to take place (though that did not stop Dragic from also imagining the future magic). A natural pick-and-pop tandem, they will complement each other quite nicely.
4. Winning More Games
Mar 25, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) is congratulated by Miami Heat forward Henry Walker (5) after a basket during the second half of the Miami Heat
Ok, so this is a little presumptuous, but any injuries aside, Dragic should drastically improve the successfulness of this team (and I am not the only one who thinks so). True they did not make the postseason last year, even after he was signed, but by then it was too late. The Heat already lost too many games, and had too many health problems under their belts. At 29, Dragic has already been in the league for 7 years, having played for both the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets prior to coming to Miami. He averaged 16.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists last year, on 33.4 minutes of play.
Welcome back to the Miami Heat, Goran Dragic. This will be the (re)start of a beautiful friendship.