One of the Miami Heat’s more important contributors seems to be nearing a return to the lineup.
Guard Goran Dragic, who last played on Dec. 1, is sitting out tonight’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, but may be able to play on Friday.
At age 33, Dragic is having a strong season, averaging 15.9 points and 5.0 assists per game. He’s shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from 3-point range.
The Heat enter their game in Philly with a 19-8 record, good enough for fourth in the Eastern Conference. What makes it even more impressive than it seems on the surface is the fact that they’ve been short-handed for much of the season.
Jimmy Butler, the team’s new cornerstone, missed its first three games, and yet it won two of them, including one in Milwaukee.
Miami has also managed to be perhaps the league’s biggest overachiever despite the absence of Dion Waiters. He has already been suspended three times this year, and his days in South Florida seem to be numbered.