The perception of many fans in the 2021-22 playoff season for Chicago is that if the Bulls want to go deeper and farther in the playoffs, they will have to strengthen the projection, the tall forward line and a better defensive long man.
However, the Bulls did not draw the gourd and try to solve the biggest pain point, and the biggest signing in the offseason was to sign Goran Dragic, a veteran defender.
The 36-year-old Goran Dragic played for the Nets and Raptors last season, averaging 7.5 points, 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game, not according to rumors that the Lone Ranger met national team teammate Luka Doncic, but joined the guard lineup already with Lonzo Ball, Zach Lavin, Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu and Kobe White's overcrowded Bulls.
Many speculators have signed Goran Dragic as a spare tire for glass-bound Lonzo Ball, but it is confusing to see how much oil is left in Goran Dragic's tank.
Golan Dragic had a very turbulent 2021-22 season, having been traded to the Raptors by the Heat for seven seasons before the start of the season (signed later for Kyle Lowry). Goran Dragic left the team for "personal reasons" after playing five games in Toronto and eventually came to the Nets to work for his Suns teammate Nash as irving's bench.
Golan Dragic has played in 16 games with the Nets, averaging 7.6 points, 4.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game, shooting a dismal 37.6 percent and 24.5 percent from three-point range, respectively, but assists and rebounds are still about the same as career, but there is still a big gap from the performance of being selected to the Star Game in 2018.
However, this year's decline in offensive performance does not negate that Golan Dragic is still a defender with both experience and firepower, especially since he averaged 17.8 points, 4.1 assists and 35% of three-point shooting in the playoffs during the Heat, and the experience of the game will also be the value that the Bulls expect Goran Dragic to bring.
Golan Dragic also showed firepower in the playoffs after arriving at the Nets, averaging 16 points, 4.5 rebounds and 56 percent shooting in the first round against the Celtics, and almost helped the Nets win in the first game.
Stabilizing the outside line in the short playoff battlefield will be one of the factors that determine the outcome, the Bulls have DeRozan and Zach Lavin, two sharp blades that are good at cutting into the destruction, at this time the shooters Kobe White and Goran Dragic who are ambushed in the bottom corner are very important, in theory Kobe White is a more stable shooter (career 36.5%), but Goran Dragic is more experienced, he can not only shoot the outside line, but also have the vision of the ball to transfer the ball.
As in the first half of Game 2 of last season's playoffs, Goran Dragic's ability was fully demonstrated, on the one hand, he could feed the ball to Durant and Irving to score, and on the other hand, he scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
If Goran Dragic can get back to the 2020-21 season, bringing an elite passing organization and stabilizing the outside line, it will be a big boost for Chicago; But if it was Goran Dragic last season, it would be an unstable bench player, and we can only hope that he will bring experience to the playoffs to help the team win.
For the Bulls, signing Goran Dragic with a veteran base salary is not a bad operation, especially if he can output in the playoffs in 2023, which will be a very successful reinforcement in retrospect.
Golan Dragic is currently the Bulls' fourth or fifth defender, depending on how Bulls coach Billy Donovan views his veteran value. Alex Caruso is more versatile and Ayo Dosunmu is talented, but Goran Dragic's passing will help Kobe White have better room to attack in the second team.
While Goran Dragic won't be a big help to the Bulls in the regular season, he can expect his performances in the playoffs, and experience and leadership will be an added reinforcement.