What does Goran Dragic's decision to sign with the Nets mean in the short and long term? / What Goran Dragi ’s decision to sign with the Nets means for Brooklyn in the short and long term
Published: February 21, 2021 US time
Publisher: the Athletic
Article author: Alex Schiffer
Article translated by de Gaulle
In the 2008 draft, Goran Dragic, then 22, was selected by the Spurs with the 45th overall pick in the second round, but was quickly traded to the Suns. After hearing this news, the first thought that crossed Dragic's mind was:
God, I'm going to be a teammate with Steve Nash.
Now, 14 years later. Dragic came together again with Nash. Only this time, Nash became his coach. According to U.S. media reports, the Nets have signed Dragic in the buyout market. Nash did play a very crucial role in the recruitment of Dragic.
Although Dragic is now 35 years old, he can still contribute good stats and performances on the pitch. Moreover, the Nets do need a player like Dragic to put out the fire in the position of guard. Because at present, the Nets' main guard Kerry Irving is still unable to play in New York because he has not been vaccinated; ben Simmons, who came from the 76ers before the trade deadline, has not played an official game for most of the season, and when he will be able to return to the state of the game and what kind of state he can show is currently unknown. In this situation, Dragic's addition eased the urgent need for the Nets' guard line.
In addition, the Nets' signing of Dragic has also weakened several potential opponents to some extent. Because according to media reports, before signing with the Nets, Dragic also considered several other teams that could join, such as the Bucks, Clippers, Bulls and Warriors. Now that the Nets have received Dragic, while improving their own strength, they have not given the above opponents the opportunity to strengthen, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone.
For the Nets, going to the buyout market to find available materials is the way they tried to do it last season. Last year, they were in the buyout market, supplemented by two fierce players, Aldridge and Griffin. Durant played a very key role in recruiting these two players last year. But this year, head coach Nash took on the main responsibility when recruiting Dragic.
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Dragic and Nash were teammates at the Suns, and the Slovenian defender played Nash as a substitute for 3 years until Nash left for the Lakers. Although it didn't take long to play side by side, Dragic mentioned more than once that he learned a lot from Nash, both in basketball technique and in leading and directing the team on the court.
Moreover, when he was a teammate, Dragic had a very good relationship with Nash. On the team's plane, the two would always sit together. The young Dragic regarded Nash as an example, and carefully recorded all the ways of eating and training Nash mentioned and studied them. One of the things that impressed Dragic the most was that he claimed to have never seen Nash eat even a cookie or any other sweet.
Although the two were very close, when they got to the pitch, their playing styles were completely different. As a defensive defender, Nash pursues accurate breaks of the opposing defense when operating the attack, while Dragic is tougher and more enthusiastic.
"When he steps on the pitch, he can always have a really good play and do a lot of things on the pitch," Nash said of Dragic in an interview in 2012. He's a passionate and talented player and when you see a guy with such a good personality who takes his chances and succeeds, you're really happy for him. We knew from the beginning that he was a great player and now we see his results. ”
By the time Nash uttered the above words, Dragic had already joined the Rockets, and Nash had traveled to the Lakers. Two teammates who had fought side by side with the Suns were on opposite sides. Although they still greet each other warmly when they meet and take a selfie together, the time spent together all day, as before in the sun, is gone.
But now Dragic and Nash can "relive old dreams." This season, Dragic was traded by the Heat to the Raptors, but only played 5 games, and agreed with the team that they would not play again. Subsequently, on the day of the trade deadline, he was sent to the Spurs by the Raptors and subsequently bought out by the Spurs. In this way, Dragic became the hottest free agent in the market some time ago. Many teams looking to improve their strengths want the guard who averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game last season for the Heat.
In the end, the Nets became the winner of this battle, and Nash, as the team's head coach, not only actively participated in the recruitment of Dragic, but also was bound to get more space in the lineup because of his arrival. Since Irving can only play away games at present, so with a reliable point guard like Dragic, Nash can make the lineup more continuous in the guard position, which is a great positive for the Nets.
Of course, some rejoice and some grieve. Dragic's arrival means that the Nets' original bench point guard Javin Carter's time on the team has come to an end. To make room for Dragic, Carter has been cut by the Nets. Still, given that Carter has only 33 percent of his three-point shooting percentage this season, the team doesn't need much hesitation between him and Dragic.
Dragic has played a total of 56 games in his career, which is undoubtedly a major advantage for the Nets, who are aiming to attack the championship this season. Moreover, given that the current local epidemic prevention policy in New York is still very strict, Irving, who does not vaccinate, may not be able to play at home in the short term. In this case, Dragic, who can play stably, is undoubtedly a signing in the snow for the Nets, who have just lost Harden and Simmons are not sure when they will be able to play.
In the long run, when all the Nets' main players return to the court, Dragic can still play a very important role on the bench. Moreover, Dragic is not a defender who needs to have the ball in hand to function, according to statistics, he also has a 40% shooting rate in terms of receiving the ball and shooting, which gives him a good ability to open up space on the field. Considering that Ben Simmons's outside shooting ability is not strong, Dragic can also be arranged to play with Simmons.
On February 23, local time, the Nets will return to the training ground to prepare for the game against the Celtics on February 24. For Nash this season, this is the first time he doesn't know he's facing a new subject this season. But the good news this time is that at least he can face this new problem with an old face he is familiar with.