The Miami Heat shooting study: Goran Dragic

Goran Dragic has developed into one of the Miami Heat’s most versatile offensive players. He was a good 3-point shooter last season, but can he remain consistent from beyond the arc?

Shooting is becoming more and more important in today’s NBA. A player who can’t shoot is now, more than ever, a liability to teams on offense. Of course, “shoot” is a general phrase that can mean a lot of things. Different players shoot better from different places. Guys have sweet spots. Some are better from corner while others thrive off the dribble. This series will take a look at each Miami Heat player’s shooting abilities and preferences, where they can improve and how they can best be leveraged.

Goran Dragic is the leader of the Miami Heat’s drive-and-kick offense but, thanks to the emergence of Dion Waiters as a ball handler, he began to show off more of his shooting range toward the end of last season.

Dragic attempted 3.8 3-pointers a game during the first half of last season, and 4.2 during the second half. Waiters taking on responsibility as a facilitator allowed Dragic to play more off the ball, and gave the Heat’s offense a more dynamic look.

A career 36 percent 3-point shooter, Dragic last season had one of his best years, making 40.5 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

You can see from where he especially shot well in the following chart:

Dragic’s sweet spots are above the left and right elbows, where he made 69 of his 164 attempts (42 percent). These are ideal locations for a guard to thrive from. Forwards tend to dominate the corners, and if another guard is driving and (eventually) kicking to Dragic for a 3-point attempt, he’s likely camped out in one of these spots.

Where Dragic can improve, clearly, is from the very top of the arc, and when he’s going right. However, there are many players who do well on one side of the court and not as well at the other. Dwyane Wade, for example, also much preferred to go left than right.

Next: Reviewing Goran Dragic's career year

Dragic shoots well from enough spots on the court that opponents have to respect him no matter where he is, with or without the ball.