5. A Fresh Start for Dragic
It’s no secret that Dragic wanted out of Phoenix. What’s also not a secret is that he wanted to be in Miami.
When rumors initially leaked out about Dragic’s impending departure from the Suns, the Heat were one of three destinations the point guard listed on his wish list. Lo and behold, he got his wish.
Dragic didn’t hide his feelings of excitement upon his introduction to Miami on Saturday:
“I’m really happy that we’re (he and Zoran) here….right now I’m just focused on helping my team and learning my plays. In the future I hope that I’m going to stay here.”
The 6’3″ guard was asked on how long he plans to play for Miami:
“Hopefully for several years. This is a business, we’ll see what happens after the season.”
While Dragic enjoyed a breakout season in 2014, which culminated in him winning the Most Improved Player of the Year award, things soured quickly in Phoenix this season. The 2014 All-NBA selection was unhappy playing in a three-guard lineup alongside Bledsoe and Thomas, which limited his opportunities of handling the ball like a natural point guard. In fact, Goran even played small forward in the Suns’ small-ball lineup.
Now that he has a home where he’s comfortable and playing in his natural position, he’s eager to have the Heat contend for a championship. Dragic cited championships as one of the main reasons for wanting to play in Miami:
“They won three championship rings and everybody wants to play for a championship team.”
He’ll have that opportunity now that he’s a member of the Heat organization.
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