Heat camp arrives, and Dragic says he's more than ready
MIAMI (AP) — This time last year, Miami's Goran Dragic was already tired and the season was just getting started.
It's very different now.
When the Heat hold their first practice of the season Tuesday, Dragic expects to be as rested and ready as he's been for any training camp in years. The point guard who went to his first All-Star Game last season wore down as the year went along, in part because of the grind he put himself through last summer while leading his native Slovenia to the European championship.
This summer, he played less — and is hoping that pays off this season.
"I feel amazing. I feel great," Dragic said. "I think one of the smartest moves I made was retiring from the national team, because I feel energized and pumped for this season. I always kind of hit a wall toward the end of a season, but I feel like this season is going to be a totally different story."
At 32, Dragic is Miami's third-oldest player — among those in the Heat locker room, only Udonis Haslem (38) and the entering-his-final-season Dwyane Wade (36) have seen more birthdays. But Dragic is still a starter, still a very intregal part of everything Miami envisions for this season, and is coming off a year where he averaged 17.3 points.
"The band is still together," Dragic said. "I'm very happy that I'll be part of this last dance with Dwyane."
The biggest malady Dragic was dealing with at the end of last season was tendinitis in his right knee, something that bothered him for several weeks. He still led Miami in scoring during its five-game playoff appearance against Philadelphia, averaging 18.6 points.
He wasn't the only Heat starter ailing when last season ended. Josh Richardson was playing through a bad shoulder, Hassan Whiteside had knee problems, James Johnson had a sports hernia and Tyler Johnson's thumb needed surgery. The Heat — who are one of the many teams that have been talking to Minnesota about a trade for Jimmy Butler — are hoping some health luck comes their way this season.
"I think we're going to be good," Dragic said.
If nothing else, he's not coming into this season as harried as he was last fall. Dragic has been back in Miami for about a month, after spending most of his offseason in Slovenia. A year ago, the European championships meant Dragic was still playing right up until the start of Heat camp.
It wasn't a popular decision in Slovenia for Dragic to stop playing for the national team, which didn't qualify for the 2019 FIBA World Cup of Basketball in China and now faces an uphill climb if it's going to reach the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"But it was the right decision for me," Dragic said.
The Heat sat out this past June's NBA Draft in part because of the deal they made in 2015 to bring Dragic to Miami. The package sent to Phoenix included two first-round selections, the first of which was used this year at the No. 16 overall spot. The other will be used in 2021.
The price was steep, and the Heat aren't complaining.
"I'd much rather have Goran Dragic than those two picks," Heat President Pat Riley said.
Dragic is hoping to give Riley even more bang for his buck this season.
The All-Star nod — even though it came as an injury replacement — was particularly meaningful for Dragic, and he felt that last season was one of his better seasons anyway.
His goal for this season is simple: Be even better.
"I want to be at a high level for as long as possible," Dragic said. "If you come into a season without goals, you're just going through practice and it doesn't mean anything to you. But if you set goals, you're pushing yourself. And for me personally, my goal is to have a better season than I did last year. I don't want to drop a little bit at the end this season. I want to be energized, fresher, more consistent the whole way this time."
