Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Goran Dragic says all that matters is he’ll be ready for the season opener.
MIAMI — Goran Dragic said Tuesday that being ready for next week’s Heat season opener is not a concern, even with the time he is being given off during the preseason.
“It’s just trying to be fresh for the season,” he said after light participation at practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. “That’s the main thing, try to be hungry for those games. And we de- cided not to play those last two games. You know, it helps me a little bit to recover, to get back to being that hungry guy again.”
Dragic is coming off a hectic September, when he helped lead Slovenia to the EuroBasket championship.
Dragic arrived to camp in game shape, but also fatigued from his role as captain of his national team. He said what matters is that he has retained his competitive edge.
“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” he said. “That first game, NBA game, you’re always competitive, you’re starting the season, so you’re always looking forward to that game. I’m in good shape, practicing, running, so I don’t see no problem with that.”
Both Dragic and coach Erik Spoelstra declined to say whether the point guard would appear in either of the Heat’s remaining exhibitions, Wednesday against the visiting Wizards and Friday in Kansas City against the 76ers.
The Heat open the regular season Oct. 18 in Orlando.
The Heat have utilized a bigger lineup in Dragic’s absence, opening with 7-footers Hassan Whiteside and Kelly Olynyk in the power rotation, after James Johnson had previously played as the starting power forward. Johnson has since returned to the second-unit role where he thrived for most of the second half of last season.
“That’s good, that’s awesome,” Dragic said. “Kelly brings a different game to the table. He can spread the floor. He can shoot. He can put the ball on the floor and make somebody else easy to get a shot. I mean J.J., the same way. But J.J. has such a great chemistry with Tyler [Johnson].”
Dragic said he does not envision difficulty reconnecting with his teammates, with 11 players returning from last season, including starting backcourt partner Dion Waiters.
“I already know the system, of course,” he said. “I already know where each individual wants the ball or how to get the ball. With Dion we have great chemistry, so I think so that helps a lot.”
Liggins added
Journeyman wing DeAndre Liggins was signed Tuesday, expected to be moved to the Heat’s developmental-league affiliate, the G League Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Liggins previously was with the Heat on a pair of 10-day contracts during the 2013-14 season. He has played for the Skyforce in 2013-14 and ’15-16, named DLeague Defensive Player of the Year in each of his seasons with the Skyforce, a DLeague All-Star in each of those seasons, as well.
It has been a whirlwind since the end of last season for Liggins. He was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers in April, claimed for the balance of the season by the Dallas Mavericks. In the offseason, he was traded from the Mavericks to the Houston Rockets then to the Los Angeles Clippers and then to the Atlanta Hawks, who waived him within hours of his acquisitions, each of those final three transactions as part of salary-cap manipulations.
“Another player we feel very familiar with, has a lot of the qualities we tend to like and it’s good to bring him back. We always rooted for him,” Spoelstra said.