Is this the best season of Goran Dragic’s career?
By Rob Slater
There is no denying that Goran Dragic is the leader of this Miami Heat team. But where does this season’s performance rank among Dragic’s best?
To properly contextualize Goran Dragic’s greatness this season, it’s fitting to revisit the 2013-14 campaign (widely regarded as his statistical peak) where he dazzled in Phoenix, leading the Suns to a 48-34 record (they would finish one game out of the final playoff spot) and earning himself the Most Improved Player award.
Dragic finished 16th in the MVP vote and became just one of three players in 20 years to finish with 20-plus points and 5-plus assists while shooting at least 50 percent from the field and 41 percent from three.
More than the postseason accolades, Dragic was ultra-dynamic, leading an offense that scored 105.2 points per game, good for seventh best in the league.
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And how does his work this year compare?
Individually, the numbers stack up against that decorated season with the Suns, with his point totals per game virtually identical (20.3 in Phoenix vs. 20.2 this year) as well as assists (5.9) and three-point shooting (40.8 percent in Phoenix vs. 40.6 percent this year).
When he was on the floor, the Suns were an offensive machine, boasting an offensive rating of 112.5. With Dragic off the floor? 102.5. That 10-point differential compares to a nearly seven-point differential this season. The Suns were also eighth in the NBA in one of the most important stats when discussing the success of Goran Dragic: Pace.
When Dragic is moving the offense downhill towards the basket, the benefit to offensive production is abundantly clear. This season, both the Heat’s pace (97.55) and offensive rating (104.9) are as high as they’ve been during Dragic’s tenure in Miami. He has the keys to the offense and he’s pushing it, to winning results.
To further that point, Dragic in Heat wins: 21.5 points per game on 50.5 percent shooting (43.9 percent from three) and a plus/minus of 7.5 (-6.2 in Heat losses).
By the numbers, Dragic’s shooting has fallen off slightly since 2013, but he is at career highs in attempts from the field and from three. His usage rate is also at a career high (27.0).
What Erik Spoelstra and the coaching staff have done this year is maximized the Phoenix version of Dragic. While he may not be the efficiency darling he was (56.1 percent effective field goal percentage in 2013), the responsibilities of leading this Heat team simply requires him to shoulder more of the load, leading to a reasonable dip in his shooting numbers.
They’ve also rounded out some of the rougher edges to his game, mainly on the defensive end. Dragic is at a career-high in Defensive Win Shares (2.4) and his defensive numbers are as stable as they’ve ever been, with offensive players shooting just 0.4 percent better on average under his watch.
“Defensively he’s really taking pride in defending pick and rolls, challenging shots, rebounding the ball better,” Spoelstra said after a January win against Dallas, the second win of what would become the team’s historic thirteen-game winning streak.
Spoelstra also praised Dragic’s improved mid-range shooting (43 percent this year) and most importantly his leadership this season. “Last couple of years it was a little uncomfortable for him,” he noted before adding that Dragic isn’t afraid to speak up this season as he leads a young and hungry Heat team.
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Still, what we’ve seen this year is the best of what Dragic has to offer as a point guard in today’s NBA climate and while this may not be statically his best single season, it is certainly his most valuable and consistent, something the Heat will desperately need moving forward.