5. Goran Dragic
Stats (2015-present): 17.2 points, 5.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 52 percent from the floor
A remarkably underrated point guard despite his offensive abilities, Dragic was shipped from Phoenix to Miami following an ugly break up with the Suns front office.
Remarkably, he was coming off of the best season of his career, which earned All-NBA Third Team honors.
For essentially chump change, Riley pulled another slick move and snagged one of the most explosive scorers from the point guard position.
Ironically, his numbers from this past season were arguably better than any of his years in Phoenix and if it had not been for several (30, to be exact) lackluster performances early in the season, the Heat very well could have been facing the Boston Celtics or Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
Not only did he match his career high in efficiency from beyond the arc (41 percent,) he matched his career-high in points per game as well (20.3.) He knocked down big shots, made timely assists, and proved to be the driving force behind an offense that caught fire during the second half of the season.
He had seven games with 30 or more points, and hit 20 or more 32 times. He also had five games with 10 or more assists, including a career-high 17 assists in an early season loss to the Boston Celtics.
For me, Dragic’s most memorable moments as a member of the Heat have to have come in the 2016 Playoffs.
After trailing the Charlotte Hornets 3-2 and forcing a decisive seventh game on the road, Dragic came alive at home, scoring 25 points (17 in the first half) and leading the Heat to a convincing 103-76 victory.
In the Conference Semifinals against the Raptors, Dragic dropped 30 at home in Game 6, forcing a Game 7 in that series as well, only this time, Miami would fall on the road.
Dragic’s body of work since arriving in Miami warrants the five spot, not to mention he’s the best point guard Miami has had since Tim Hardaway.