A look into the Miami Heat’s Goran Dragic and James Johnson being named to Zach Lowe’s Marc Gasol All Star team of entertaining players to watch.
Every NBA season, ESPN’s Zach Lowe blesses the die-hard fan with his Marc Gasol All Stars roster, which consists of 12 or so NBA players that are seen as unheralded, underappreciated, or just all-around fun to watch. This season’s roster, released earlier this week, features not one but two Miami Heat players that have been a joy to watch in Goran Dragic and James Johnson.
I, admittedly, thought the Heat had overpaid for Dragic, but he’s shown that the price may not have been too steep after all. Averaging 20 points, six assists, and four rebounds, Dragic has been the model of consistency all season for Miami. He has also a major cog in the machine that has seen the Heat go from a guaranteed lottery pick to middle of the pack playoff team.
He managed to take his Dragic praise a step further, slightly comparing him to a certain high energy MVP-caliber point guard:
"“Dragic is a second-tier Westbrook: He knows only one speed. With last season’s pace tug-of-war against Dwyane Wade in the rearview, Dragic and Erik Spoelstra, perhaps the favorite for Coach of the Year, revamped Miami’s offense to flow from Dragic’s skill set.Dragic wants to run on every single possession. Force him to pick up his dribble near the rim, and he’ll go into a bobbing dance of expert pivot moves — up-and-unders, twirls and other fakes that leave you dizzy. He has a nifty floater game, and like Curry, he can almost shot-put them with one hand to save time.”"
Lowe also showed some love to new Heat fan favorite James Johnson, who is having the best year of his career and showing the promise that he displayed when he was a first round pick in 2009. Averaging career highs in points (12.5), rebounds (4.8), assists (3.5), and three point percentage (34.4%), Johnson has endeared himself to so many of the Heat faithful, and even those on the outside looking in, like Lowe:
"Everything Johnson does carries a hint of danger. What is the fun of the easy pass when you might be able to spin in midair and slip the ball between four arms to Whiteside?He swings for blocks as if he wants to deflate the ball and drill a hole in the floor. He flies across 30 feet of open space to close out on shooters who never thought it possible he might appear, and leaps, arms and fingers stretched, like a draft prospect aiming for a personal best at the combine.You worry he’s going to fly into the fifth row."
As Lowe eludes to, Johnson’s energy and all-out style of play making him such an interesting player to watch. There’s beauty in his recklessness and it’s infectious.
Next: Heat already have playoff mindset
The Miami Heat season has taken a complete 180 in the span of a couple months, and this is the payoff. Lowe has one of the smarter minds in basketball, so it’s nice to see a couple of our guys get some recognition.