The Miami Heat are primed to re-sign point guard Goran Dragic this summer to play alongside Dwyane Wade, which will give South Beach one of the most explosive backcourts in the NBA once the pair finds the right chemistry. And in today’s Association, having a championship-caliber backcourt duo is essential to winning the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy.
It’s no secret the league has evolved from being dominated by big men into a perimeter game featuring flashy point guards and three-point snipers. Every team still fighting for this year’s NBA crown has at least one All-Star talent in its backcourt.
Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are widely regarded as the best backcourt in the NBA today. A pair of pure shooters who both made the All-Star squad last year, the “Splash Brothers” are dynamic scorers who make a deadly one-two punch from beyond the arc.
But the projected backcourt of the Heat also has the potential to be special. Although Dragic and Wade played sparingly together in 2014-15, they quietly combined to lead the league with a 48.5 field-goal percentage among backcourt duos.
When healthy, D-Wade remains an elite scorer with a superior off-ball cutting game. The 33-year-old shooting guard can still be a one-man show at times, and his ability to drive and hit midrange jumpers makes him one of the league’s most valuable commodities.
Although plagued by nagging injuries that limited him to 62 games, Wade still managed to pour in 21.5 points per game on 47 percent shooting. With the expected addition of Dragic, the Heat will now have two legitimate pass-and-score dual threats.
The performance of the future Hall of Famer during the second half of the season bodes well for a team heading into next season with championship aspirations. And for the first time since 2010, the 11-time All-Star will have the opportunity this offseason to fully heal from the grind of competing in four consecutive NBA Finals.
An efficient scorer who posted a 58.6 percent true shooting with the Heat, Dragic can also light it up and is a potent finisher at the rim. His 69.1 percent conversion rate led all guards, and was in the same neighborhood as LeBron James‘ 69.7 percent figure.
While the “Dragon” played in just 26 games with Miami this past season, the Slovenian playmaker is a fastbreak specialist who is adept at penetrating the paint. The 29-year-old averaged 16.2 points with the Heat while shooting over 50 percent from the field, and is also a lethal threat motoring to the basket off a pick.
Unlike the Curry and Thompson duo, which relies heavily on the three-point shot, Miami’s projected backcourt is a well-rounded tandem that can score in a variety of ways. And because success in the NBA is often defined by championship glory – not shooting contests – Wade and Dragic have as good a shot as any other backcourt to bring home a title next season.
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