The dragon was breathing fire Wednesday when the Bulls burned the Miami Heat in the 116-108 opening night victory. And this one may help the Bulls take flight and maybe put a little scare into some of the more comfortable Eastern Conference opponents.
Like the prominent Heat, whom Goran “the Dragon” Dragić had a big part in helping slay before the Bulls finish the short opening road trip in Washington Friday.
Dragić in 19 minutes Wednesday and the second-most playing time in the fourth quarter came off the bench for a dozen points, making four-of-five three-pointers and adding a pair of steals and assists. He began with the highlight play of the game with his lob pass leading to a three-point play for Andre Drummond.
And admittedly took a little pleasure in returning to Miami, where he played for seven seasons and earned his only All-Star berth. It was Miami which broke his heart—he loved the tough love, demanding Heat “culture”—by, ironically, moving Dragić so they could replace him with point guard Kyle Lowry. And with some salary cap gymnastics in the sign-and-trade to pay Lowry in free agency terms.
Dragić then outplayed Lowry much of the game, Lowry with just two points in 35 minutes.
“It’s always nice to play well and especially against your former team,” Dragić conceded. “If I said no (I’d be lying); it feels good. I am happy here with this team, great teammates; we joke around and it is a good chemistry.”
Yes, the smile is back on Dragić’s face after a tumultuous season spent in several countries, and mostly on his couch when Dragić and the Toronto Raptors agreed to disagree about his need to play after being traded for Lowry.
The likable and popular Slovenian blundered a bit amidst the disappointment of the trade in going from title contending Miami to what seemed like a rebuild in Toronto. Dragić told a reporter he had “higher ambitions” than the Raptors, though so did the Raptors who were mostly doing the sign-and-trade to get draft pick Precious Achiuwa.
Dragić was immediately apologetic and all seemed well with the team, which reportedly never wanted Dragić, either, but couldn’t get a third team into the sign-and-trade. Dragic started one game and played in four, but then was benched and a month into the season the Raptors said they wanted to play young guard Dalano Banton. There apparently was a metal enough agreement for Dragic to leave Toronto and return home to wait out the February trading deadline. He eventually was traded to the Spurs for former Bull Thad Young, and then released and signed as a veteran free agent by the Nets.
“Just basically one year (of problems),” Dragić said after Bulls practice Friday in Washington. “I got traded. Unfortunately, it was not the right situation for me. They went a different way, I went a different way. And that was it. I went home for three or four months, so I couldn’t play waiting for the trade. But then when I came to Brooklyn, I finally start playing and had a good playoff run with them on a personal note, but as a team we didn’t perform well.”
Dragić averaged 10.5 points in 19.8 minutes for the Nets in their playoff sweep loss to Boston after averaging 7.3 points, the fewest since his rookie season, in 16 games for Brooklyn after the trade. Dragić left Miami in the franchise’s all-time top 10 in assists, three point field goals, double digit scoring games and points.
Now with the Bulls the wily 6-3 guard could just become one of the best under the radar acquisitions of the offseason even at 36 years old.
“At the end of the day you have to accept reality,” Dragić said. “I am not the youngest anymore and know that, but at the same time you have to be confident enough to know what you can do. I can do exactly the same thing I did three years ago.”
That was when Dragić averaged 19.1 points starting 16 games before he was hurt early in the Finals against the Lakers in Miami’s run. Heat officials still contend with Dragić they would have won that series in the pandemic bubble.
“I still know I can play basketball, that I love basketball, and I can contribute and that’s all that matters to me,” said Dragić.
Which showed quickly in the joy of that lob and slam with Drummond as he and the former All-Star center already are building a smart chemistry off the bench.
“We work on that,” said Dragić. “We had some in preseason, but it goes both ways. You have to have perfect timing and set good screens and roll hard. Not only us players have to have the right spacing so the lob is there, all five guys have to be on the same page.”
Which the Bulls were in Miami, impressively more ready to play than a Heat team that so often boasts about having an advantage on the league in aggression. The Bulls dominated the fourth quarter in steals and offensive rebounds.
And earlier, it was Dragić’s first half four three pointers than righted a listing Bulls start.
“I just took the shots what they gave me,” said Dragić. “I felt good. The only game I really struggled so far was the first preseason game. But that’s preseason. I’m not putting any attention to that. From then (on) in every practice I felt more comfortable. I know what the players need, they know what I need, there is more comfort on the floor. That has been the main key for me.
“I think we have a good second group with a lot of experience and some young players like Coby (White),” said Dragić of the group’s 37 points in Miami. “For us, it’s all about how are we going to perform to outplay the other second unit. I feel in the Miami game at times (late) we struggled a little bit, but those were good shots we took. You move on to the next play.”
Or game. Which Dragić did after that awful opener that likely had Bulls social media upset even if Dragić had no idea.
“I don’t read that stuff,” he said. “I’ve been in this league 15 years and I know what I can do. I’m comfortable in myself. I accept any criticism that is and you just have to deal with it; the best thing is not to read the comments. The only critics I want to share with is my teammates and coaches; that’s what matters to me.
“You just have to be ready to take the opportunity,” Dragić said. “Those threes presented to me at those times. You have to be confident enough to take them. Just the way the game happened. I feel I always have been the more offensive guy, but like I said I only care what the team needs me to do. If that’s getting set everyone in the right position, getting everyone involved passing, trying to score... the most important thing for me is just to be in the triggers and try to create something so we can have a better or easier shot.”
The dragon roared and at least for one night the culture cowered.
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