Dragic makes more trips to line
Improved 3-point shooting leads to free-throw increase.
HOUSTON — Goran Dragic is spending a lot more time at the free-throw line lately.
T h e He a t p o i n t g u a rd has more than doubled his attempts this season, from 2.3 per game a year ago to 5.0, because of his improved 3-point shooting and the fact he’s mastered the art of drawing fouls on 3-point attempts.
Dragic has been fouled shooting a 3-pointer four times in the past three games. Twice he went to the line for three free throws in Monday’s loss to the Magic, making all six attempts. He hit three in a row at Philadelphia and 2 of 3 in Brooklyn,
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra credits that to Dragic’s improved shooting. He is having his best season from beyond the arc, at 44 percent. He shot 31.2 percent a year ago and entered the season a c areer 35.5 percent shooter.
“Teams are picking him up further because of the threat of the long ball,” Spoelstra said. “He’s making it at a higher clip and when you g ive hi m t he o pe n shot , you’re going to pay for it.
“That was always the game plan against Goran, keep him out of the paint, give him the 3. That game plan is changing this year for teams. He has an opportunity now to get that play that James Harden and players that make you guard them out there have.”
Dragic said drawing the foul, even in the open court, is natural for him.
“I watch a lot of tape,” he said. “Now that I’m shooting the 3 well, everybody is trying to bully me, go over the screens. As soon as I feel that contact, I just stretch up and usually it’s a foul.
“I ’ m more a g g re s s ive . Last year, I didn’t get a lot of calls on my shooting. I didn’t pump-fake as much as this year. Maybe it’s because of that.”
The Heat are 67 of 76 (86.8) from the line in the past three games, yet they still are last in the league for the season at 69.3 percent.
“Our identity all year was to be an aggressive, attacking team, and that’s when we are at our best,” Spoelstra said. “Our attackers are putting a lot of pressure on the defense when we’re getting two feet in the paint. When you’re aggressive and doing it by sharing the ball, you tend to get defenses out of position, and you’re able to get to the line.
“All season, we’ve been working on our free-throw shooting. That’s all I ask. It doesn’t guarantee anything.”
Trade talk: One trade rumor down, how many more to go?
The Heat reportedly were one of the teams interested in trading for forward Serge Ibaka. But that was dashed Tuesday when the Magic sent Ibaka to the Raptors for guard/forward Terrence Ross and a 2017 first-round draft pick.
B u t w i t h t h e Fe b . 2 3 trade deadline approaching, rumors will keep coming at the Heat and the rest of the NBA.
While Spoelstra insists that he doesn’t spend too much time addressing the trade deadline, he does take time to address it quickly with his players.
“We o n l y b r i n g i t u p just from the st andpoint o f ‘ b u c k l e u p, ’ ” S p o e l s - tra said. “Try to stay away from all the news outlets and social media and everything because you’ll just get caught in crazy rabbit holes and you don’t need to exhaust yourself from all of that. All they are is distractions. None of us can control it.”
At 24-32 entering Wednesday’s game against the Rockets, the Heat are just t wo games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. But Miami is not expected to make any trade this month at the expense of the long-term plan.
“We have something pretty good going on right now, and that’s the focus — see if we can continue to play rocksolid basketball,” Spoelstra said. “The veteran guys understand that. We try to be transparent and at least just mention (the trade deadline) once just to try and stay away from it. But we don’t belabor it.”