The 2016-17 Season
Dragic will come close to being the most determined of any player on the Heat roster this season. As mentioned earlier in this piece, Dragic had a very slow start to last season, primarily due to a lack of preparation. With Wade out of the picture, this definitely cannot be the case again this season. Team president Pat Riley was firm on this issue when pressed following the Heat’s last playoff exit.
"“I said, you can’t use that excuse next year; it’s over,”‘ Riley said in May. “We already gave you the I-wasn’t-settled, I-wasn’t-in-shape, so he’s got a free summer, and he’s happy, he’s healthy and so his number-one objective is to come back in October in better shape and a better play, and also improved.”"
Reading this quote, Riley certainly has very high standards for Dragic this season. He also stated that the optimal return for Dragic would be a 50-40-80 season return. (This refers to the shooting percentage return for field goals, three-pointers and free-throws). Whilst its clearly a high ceiling to reach, its not unprecedented for Dragic. In his career-best season of 2013-14, Dragic posted a 50-40-76 shooting return.
That 2013-14 season saw Dragic lead an unheralded Phoenix Suns team to 48 wins and the brink of the playoffs. It can be easily argued that on paper, this Heat team has more upside in comparison. It certainly ensures an interesting storyline to follow.