Entering season, Goran Dragic was unsure how his knee would respond. But so far, so good.
Goran Dragic wasn’t sure how his surgically repaired right knee would handle the grind of an 82-game season.
During training camp in October, there were days Dragic felt pain in the knee. The 33-year-old Heat guard was even held out of one practice that week and limited in another as a precaution after playing in a career-low 36 games last season due to right knee surgery in December 2018.
“I didn’t do much in training camp,” Dragic said. “I did do a hard couple of days and the knee reacted a little bit. But they told me it was because it needed to get used to that level of putting stress on it.”
Still, Dragic wasn’t sure if his knee would allow him to be the player he was before the injury. He wasn’t even sure if he was going to be forced to miss games this season simply to rest his knee.
But there has been no “maintenance plan” this season with Dragic. He has played in 26 of the Heat’s first 36 games this season, and none of the games he has missed have been due to his right knee with nine of the absences coming because of a right groin strain and the other coming because of an illness.
“It’s good. No problems,” Dragic said of his knee, with the Heat beginning a three-game trip Wednesday against the Pacers. “If I didn’t hurt my groin, probably I would play almost every game this season. ... I’m happy with how my knee has reacted. I feel good. I was hoping that it was going to be like that, and it has been. So, I’m happy.”
Coach Erik Spoelstra said of Dragic’s knee responding well up to this point: “Let’s knock on wood on that. We think we have a very detailed and well thought out plan for him. That’s a big part of it is being able to manage his minutes during the course of the year. Him coming off the bench protects him from him and protects me from me and protects us from us because I would easily play him 35 minutes. But he has been fresh. If our schedule is normal and he’s able to practice, we don’t have three games in four nights, he looks as good and fresh as he has ever been.”
It’s not just the way the knee is feeling that has Dragic feeling confident and comfortable in his 12th NBA season. It’s the way he’s playing that has him feeling healthy again.
Dragic is averaging 15.9 points while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 41.2 percent on threes, 3.2 rebounds and five assists in 28.1 minutes in his new sixth-man role this season. He recorded season highs in points (29), made three-pointers (seven) and assists (13) in Sunday’s win over the Trail Blazers.
“Some games are better, some games a little bit less,” Dragic said. “But at least I know that I that I can do a lot of stuff that I used to do. That has given me a lot of extra motivation and confidence in my game, and it’s only going to get better.
“I know I still have a lot left in me. I think that’s the main thing. Not to get satisfied and just push myself. I put a lot of hard work on the rehab, and I’m still doing it. I’m still not done. I’m still trying to get my leg stronger.”
Among those who have played 20 or more games off the bench this season, Dragic ranks fifth in scoring average as a reserve at 16 points per game behind Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell (19 points), Thunder guard Dennis Schroder (18.6), Clippers guard Lou Williams (18.5) and Pistons guard Derrick Rose (17.6). Dragic also ranks fourth in assists per game among reserves.
Dragic has done all of this while wearing a new bulky brace on his right knee.
“It has been a pretty smooth transition,” Dragic said of getting used to the brace. “They told me it’s better if I play with it and they would feel more comfortable. I said, ‘OK.’ At the end of the day, they’re paying me. I need to do whatever they ask. I got used to it. No problems at all. Basically, now it even feels weird without it. ... It’s working, I don’t have no issues. Why would I change things?”
Dragic has also made adjustments to his game that should help prolong his playing career. His drives to the basket are down and he’s attempting a career-high 5.7 threes per game this season, and he’s shooting them efficiently with the league’s ninth-best three-point shooting percentage among players who are taking five or more threes per game.
“I think I can still play three or four years easy,” said Dragic, who’s in the fifth and final season of the $85 million deal he signed in the summer of 2015 and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason. “Of course, it all depends how my health is going to be. So far, so good. I’m doing everything right, what they’re telling me to do to prepare my body and to be fresh. If I’m going to continue to play like this and feel like this, it’s going to be good.”
Dragic is quick to remind reporters he’s not that old yet. Lakers superstar forward LeBron James is actually almost two years older than Dragic.
“Sometimes when a lot of people are saying that, basically they put that in your head,” Dragic said of people calling him old. “I’m like, ‘C’mon man. I’m not that old. I still can hoop. I still can play. I’m still in good shape.’ It’s just a number. That’s how I look at it. Of course, you need to prepare yourself differently, eat differently. But it’s part of the game, and I like it.”
