Miami Heat have been playing phenomenal Basketball lately, especially against their Playoff opponents Indiana Pacers. They’ve won six of their last seven outings against the Pacers in eight months. The Heat are now just one win away from stepping into the conference semi-finals.
Goran Dragic had been instrumental in the success of Heat. He is averaging 22.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in the post-season. The 6’4” Slovenian has some key names to give credit to for his revamped self.
Miami Heat guard lists his greatest mentors
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The franchise has a great mix of young and experienced players. One can count Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder leading a pack of youngsters in Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Duncan Robinson. When asked about his inspiration and mentors, Goran Dragic proudly detailed, “Learning from the best. D Wade, CB [Chris Bosh], I saw ‘em today. He was a virtual fan. Of course UD [Udonis Haslem], those guys have been an honor to play with them. I learn a lot from those guys, how to handle the pressure in the locker room. We have a great mix of players, young players, vets, so far so good.”
🐲 @Goran_Dragic paying homage to HEAT royalty. @DwyaneWade x @ChrisBosh x @ThisIsUD pic.twitter.com/6bOpmfzlwD
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) August 22, 2020
Both Dwyane Wade and Udonis were part of the NBA Championship winning team of 2006, 2012, and 2013. The duo helped the franchise reach 12 NBA finals in 14 appearances since 2003-04. Chris Bosh joined them later, and he too has two rings with the team. Have a look at D Wade’s backing for Goran-
Let’s get that contract done at halftime @MiamiHEAT Sixth Man, Starting PG no problem! 🐉 will do whatever is needed to get buckets! https://t.co/wplzS8s31S
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) August 22, 2020
Goran Dragic’s best season
The Dragon is playing in his third playoff with Miami Heat and has improved his statistics by volumes. He is averaging at least 6 points more than what he did in 2015-16. He reads the game really well and shows a decent playmaking ability. The 34-YO is quick offensively and has a strong defense.
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For now, he is beating his best regular-season averages (north of 20 ppg) that came in 2013-14 and 2016-17. So his form at this age is still unbelievably improving. It is now obvious that they will advance in the second round unless any miracle helps the Pacers.
The Heat took an insane 52 free throws in Game 3, and hence, they look in a tremendous form. So it’ll be interesting to see how Goran can help them reach the Conference finals. Game 4 will be held on August 24 at 6:30 PM ET (TNT) in the NBA Playoffs 2020.