Dragic joins teammates at pre-camp workouts
Goran Dragic joined the Heat’s informal workouts at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday, leaving Chris Bosh as the lone member of the team’s 19-player roster yet to participate in the offseason sessions.
Dragic arrived in South Florida on Tuesday after appearing in five games for the Slovenian national team during the qualifying rounds for EuroBasket 2017, where he averaged 17.4 points, 8.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds in five victories.
With the departure of guard Dwyane Wade to the Bulls in NBA free agency, Dragic is expected to take on an even greater role this season. His decision to work with the Slovenian national team this summer came after a relatively inactive 2015 offseason that translated into an uneven start to 2015-16, his first full season with the Heat following his acquisition from the Phoenix Suns at the 2014 NBA trading deadline.
The Heat still owe the Suns two potential lottery picks for Dragic, including the Heat’s first-round pick in the 2018 NBA draft.
At season’s end, Heat President Pat Riley said he told Dragic that arriving out of shape for this upcoming training camp could not be the case, after Dragic dealt with the difficult pregnancy of his wife in the 2015 offseason.
“I said, you can’t use that excuse next year; it’s over,”’ Riley said in May. “We already gave you the I-wasn’t-settled, I wasn’t-so he’s got a free summer, and he’s happy, he’s healthy and so his number-one objective is to come back in October in better shape and a better play, and also improved.”
Riley said the optimal goal for Dragic would be 50-percent shooting from the field, 40 percent on 3-pointers and at least 80 percent on free throws.
In the wake losing Wade, Riley said in July, “I think Goran is going to have a different kind of season, a different kind of responsibility. We’ll see what happens with him fromthat standpoint.”
The Heat open training camp Tuesday in the Bahamas, preceded by Monday’s media day at American Airlines Arena.
Coach named
For the first time since taking over basketball operations of their NBA Development League affiliate, the Heat have gone outside of their coaching circle in hiring a coach for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, with the job going Wednesday to Nevada Smith.
Smith previously served as coach of the D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers, leading them to a 57-43 record from2013 to 2015. Smith’s previous experience had been at the small-college level.
Smith’s D-League teams had been known for their volume shooting of 3-pointers. The Heat have for the most part mirrored their NBA-level approach with their D-League affiliate.
The previous three coaches of the Skyforce, Pat Delany, Phil Weber and Dan Craig, each previously had direct ties to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. Craig, who coached the Skyforce to last season’s championship, has returned to Spoelstra’s Heat staff, with the Heat losing assistants David Fizdale and Keith Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in the offseason.
Smith becomes the 19th coach of the Skyforce.
“His passion for coaching and his history of developing players make him a great addition to our organization,” said Adam Simon, who doubles as Skyforce general manager and Heat assistant general manager.