The first feelings of Goran Dragic when he arrived in Phoenix? ” It was an amazing experience. At the same time, it was terrifying the first days », remembers the current Bulls point guard. At the time, in 2008, the Suns team included in its workforce some legends like Shaquille O’Neal or Grant Hill.
But a third future Hall of Famer will, logically, hold the rookie’s attention more: Steve Nash. ” Steve has helped me a lot during my career. In how to be professional, how to eat healthy, work ethic and of course pick-and-roll. It was the main thing. I was happy to have had the opportunity to learn from him “, lists the Chicago player whose team faced Brooklyn last night.
A rich experience for the 22-year-old leader but also “ a lot of pressure. When you’re the backup playmaker for one of the greatest players and he leads the team, you have to stay level. It’s hard to achieve, especially at a young age. I struggled, especially at first. But when I realized that I wasn’t Steve Nash and that I just had to be myself, it got a whole lot easier. “, assures the left-hander who averaged 4.5 points in 13 minutes during his rookie year.
The reason for his freelance in Brooklyn
Traded in February 2011 to Houston, the 45th pick in the 2008 Draft has begun to settle as a league starter in Texas.
When he returned to Arizona a year and a half later, Steve Nash was no longer there, and Goran Dragic was able to increase his production, to the point of being rewarded with the Most Improved Player trophy in 2014.
All-Star in 2018, the Slovenian says he learned a lot from his eldest in terms of reading the game, especially on the “pick-and-roll”. ” He constantly manipulated him. It’s something really unique. Steve Nash was crazy about this two-man game, which made Amar’e Stoudemire particularly happy in the racket.
Nearly 15 years later, the two men had found themselves at the Nets, coached by the former point guard, with whom Goran Dragic had committed. At that moment, the left-hander said to himself: ‘I believe in karma.’ Steve has done so much for my career. So I wanted to give something back to try to help her. That’s why I decided to go to Brooklyn. Of course, we didn’t have the season we wanted. It was a difficult situation. But I don’t regret it at all. He’s such a wonderful person. I will always be grateful to him. »
| Goran Dragic | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2008-09 | PHX | 55 | 13 | 39.3 | 37.0 | 76.9 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 4.5 |
| 2009-10 | PHX | 80 | 18 | 45.2 | 39.4 | 73.6 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 7.9 |
| 2010-11* | All Teams | 70 | 18 | 43.5 | 36.1 | 62.4 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 7.5 |
| 2010-11* | PHX | 48 | 18 | 42.1 | 27.7 | 60.8 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 7.4 |
| 2010-11* | HOO | 22 | 17 | 47.2 | 51.9 | 66.7 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 7.7 |
| 2011-12 | HOO | 66 | 27 | 46.2 | 33.7 | 80.5 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 5.3 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 11.7 |
| 2012-13 | PHX | 77 | 34 | 44.3 | 31.9 | 74.8 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 7.4 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 14.7 |
| 2013-14 | PHX | 76 | 35 | 50.5 | 40.8 | 76.0 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 5.9 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 20.3 |
| 2014-15* | All Teams | 78 | 34 | 50.1 | 34.7 | 77.4 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 16.4 |
| 2014-15* | PHX | 52 | 33 | 50.1 | 35.5 | 74.6 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 16.2 |
| 2014-15* | MIA | 26 | 35 | 50.2 | 32.9 | 80.8 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 5.4 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 16.6 |
| 2015-16 | MIA | 72 | 33 | 47.7 | 31.2 | 72.7 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 5.8 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 14.1 |
| 2016-17 | MIA | 73 | 34 | 47.5 | 40.5 | 79.0 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 5.8 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.2 | 20.3 |
| 2017-18 | MIA | 75 | 32 | 45.0 | 37.0 | 80.1 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 17.3 |
| 2018-19 | MIA | 36 | 28 | 41.3 | 34.8 | 78.2 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 4.8 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 13.7 |
| 2019-20 | MIA | 59 | 28 | 44.1 | 36.7 | 77.6 | 0.5 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 5.1 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 16.2 |
| 2020-21 | MIA | 50 | 27 | 43.2 | 37.3 | 82.8 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 13.4 |
| 2021-22 * | All Teams | 21 | 24 | 37.7 | 25.4 | 81.8 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 7.5 |
| 2021-22 * | BRK | 16 | 26 | 37.6 | 24.5 | 73.9 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 4.8 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 7.3 |
| 2021-22 * | TOR | 5 | 18 | 38.2 | 28.6 | 100.0 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 8.0 |
| 2022-23 | CHI | 7 | 17 | 40.0 | 50.0 | 62.5 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 7.7 |
| Total | 895 | 28 | 46.0 | 36.2 | 76.7 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 4.8 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 13.7 | |
