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Miami Heat’s Goran Dragic wins EuroBasket MVP, what comes next?

By Allana Tachauer

HELSINKI, FINLAND - SEPTEMBER 2: Goran Dragic of Slovenia during the FIBA Eurobasket 2017 Group A match between Finland and Slovenia on September 2, 2017 in Helsinki, Finland. (Photo by Norbert Barczyk/Press Focus/MB Media/Getty Images)
HELSINKI, FINLAND - SEPTEMBER 2: Goran Dragic of Slovenia during the FIBA Eurobasket 2017 Group A match between Finland and Slovenia on September 2, 2017 in Helsinki, Finland. (Photo by Norbert Barczyk/Press Focus/MB Media/Getty Images) /
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Goran Dragic was recently named EuroBasket’s Most Valuable Player, so what comes next for the Miami Heat star?

Goran Dragic may be dubbed “The Dragon,” but he is the one doing the slaying this summer.

Along with the rest of the Slovenian team, the Miami Heat star won a gold medal at EuroBasket on Sunday afternoon, also earning the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award. This was after the point guard scored 35 points, the most ever by a Slovenian player during international competition. And scoring 26 points in the first half alone.

The 31-year-old did just not stun during the final game, either.

Having averaged 22.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds a game, he finished the tournament fourth overall in scoring. Not surprising, seeing that as of September 2, Dragic had 54 points to his name in 45 minutes of play, including going 16-for-24 from the field (3-for-8 from downtown).

And boy was it pretty to watch.

The perfect way to close out a long-standing international champaign, having announced his retirement in late August.

"“When I walked into Stozice on Thursday and saw the packed arena, I realized that I will be playing my last home game in front of the most beloved people in the world – my eyes started to water and my legs became heavy… Now, there is another European competition ahead of us, where I will, as will the rest of the team, give everything to make you and us happy and bring home the desired medal.”"

And the Slovenia-native did exactly that.

The question now is, what comes next for Dragic?

Having ended the 2016-17 NBA season on a 30-11 run with the Heat, the star has just a week before he has to report to the team’s media day, followed by training camp.

But that does not mean Dragic is not ready for another career-year.

Last season, he averaged 20.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per contest, numbers almost identical to when he won the league’s Most Improved Player award in 2014. And if his EuroBasket performance is any indication of what fans should expect from the point guard, Miami will have a reason to celebrate come next year.

However, it will not just be about Dragic himself putting the basketball through the hoop. Because although the veteran has proved to be an impressive shooter, he has also further developed his playmaking abilities.

Having finished the season one half of the 7-Eleven twosome with Dion Waiters, Dragic turned up both his ball-handling and dishing skills. In fact, they led the NBA in teammate drives per game with 22.9, with only the Toronto Raptors’ DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry even coming close with 20.7.

And Dragic’s time alongside EuroBasket teammate Luka Doncic only helped to keep his skill-set in check.

Dragic’s intensive summer play also goes to show that despite turning 32 next May, his body can still be very much counted on (only giving way to cramps during the second half).

A good sign in any situation, but especially given how banged up the Heat were at the start of 2016-17.

Next: The Miami Heat's new 'Statement' jerseys aren't new

Goran Dragic’s EuroBasket title may not fully translate into a NBA championship, but Miami Heat fans should still be proud of their Dragon and expect big things from him come 2017-18.

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