Dragic: My only problem was with GM Ryan McDonough

[sunsfan88]

Question: You were dissatisfied with the situation in Phoenix and demanded a trade. Was it really that bad?

"Day before the trade I sat down with the coach and GM and told them that I want to leave. They (the front office) kept making empty promises. In fact my only bad experience was with the GM Ryan McDonough. My relationship with the owner Robert Sarver was good. I told him my views on the matter, thanked him for everything he’s done for me and told him that I want to help the Suns with a trade. I had no intentions of signing another contract with Phoenix, so I thought a trade might be the best option for both sides. That way they could at least get something for me. I told him (Sarver) Miami was my preferred destination and he was the main reason I ended up there. I’m very grateful for that. I don’t want to keep talking about the trade though. This story is finished and I said the same in the US. If they (the Suns) want to continue this it’s fine with me, but I’m done."


Q: What bothered you the most in Phoenix?

They called me before the start of the season and told me that Isaiah Thomas is the newest member of the Suns. They assured me that my role on the team wouldn’t change. That turned out not to be true. When the season started I played mostly as an off guard and sometimes I had to defend wings as well. I told them that I don’t feel comfortable doing that, since I just wrapped up an All NBA season playing as a point guard. I didn’t feel comfortable changing positions and playing off ball, while defending guys who were much bigger than me. That’s not my game. They kept reassuring me that Thomas will get traded for a better (fitting) player. Since the situation remained the same for 4-5 months, I started feeling like they were making a fool out of me. I told my agent as much and demanded a trade."

http://ekipa24.si/clanek/kosarka/sl.../goran-dragic-cena-dokazuje-koliko-sem-vreden

*this is a Slovenian article that was translated and posted on RealGM, if anyone here who knows the language well feels Goran's comments were misinterpreted, please post below and I'll make any edits needed.

Dragic also goes on to say that McD promised him that they will bring in a “good wing player” and Dragic's commented on that by saying “but they didn’t do that. So at times I had to play on the wing and defend much bigger players.”

Anyone who watched this season at all could tell that Goran did not enjoy guarding 3s and 4s one bit and its not unusual, most PGs/SGs don't like guarding SFs who are usually much taller, bigger and more physical.

Anyway, Sarver has earned some respect back from me after I read this. Hopefully other premier FAs and agents read this and realize he's not so bad. On the other hand, Ryan McD...

 

[Iceman]

No surprise here

 

[JS22]

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[ASUCHRIS]

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No kidding, what a team player.

 

[az jam]

Interesting stuff.

 

[Mainstreet]

It sounds like Goran primarily wanted to play PG and was unhappy playing the SG position. Nothing really new here. This would have continued to be a problem paired with Bledsoe. The Suns two PG system is also driving me crazy. However, the Suns did follow through by trading IT and even Ennis. IMO, the two PG system will continue to pose problems with the Suns hence my concern about Hornacek persistence about playing it.

 

[sunsfan88]

This does show one thing which is that the players know how the FO for these teams are more than any fans and these gms are almost all liars. You can never trust a front office, they will say whatever it takes to just keep the player happy for the meantime.

I think Goran's biggest mistake was being so gullible and not realizing that the whole "We'll trade IT soon, just wait" thing was nothing but crap. Sure maybe they would have traded IT for a wing, but probably only if the wing's name was like LeBron, Durant, Melo, Kawhi or something like that. To the Suns FO defense, I doubt they would have got a real good wing player for IT anyway but its their fault for not realizing that when they signed him in the first place.

And Pat Riley is one cunning SOB too so Goran needs to stop being gullible otherwise Riley will also take advantage of that.

Trying to convert a 6'3, skinny guard into a SF is just asking for disaster imo.

 

[sunsfan88]

It sounds like Goran primarily wanted to play PG and was unhappy playing the SG position. Nothing really new here. This would have continued to be a problem paired with Bledsoe. The Suns two PG system is also driving me crazy. However, the Suns did follow through by trading IT and even Ennis. IMO, the two PG system will continue to pose problems with the Suns hence my concern about Hornacek persistence about playing it.

I think he was unhappy with him wanting to play PG and yet him playing SF. I think if they put him at SG but the team was successful and he took turns running PG with Bledsoe (like last season when Bledsoe was PG when Dragic was subbed out and Dragic was PG when Bledsoe was subbed out), I don't think he would have been as upset.

 

[Mainstreet]

I think he was unhappy with him wanting to play PG and yet him playing SF. I think if they put him at SG but the team was successful and he took turns running PG with Bledsoe (like last season when Bledsoe was PG when Dragic was subbed out and Dragic was PG when Bledsoe was subbed out), I don't think he would have been as upset.

I'm not so sure Dragic wanted to share PG duties any more. In the article it appears he felt his best position was PG. The Suns made it clear they were going to trade IT so I don't think this was a stumbling block.

 

[JS22]

He still could have kept this all private. That's the biggest issue IMO.

 

[sunsfan88]

He still could have kept this all private. That's the biggest issue IMO.

I think he kept it private for the first 3-4 months of the season and realized it did no good so he went public.

 

[Phrazbit]

goran is trying to justify his role as a selfish little cancer. The team shipped off Thomas halfway through the season ( despite that he was out playing Goran by a wide margin ). Trading Thomas wasn't even allowed until mid December.

Goran then went to Miami got to play his treasured role and was the same mediocre player he's been in his entire career... With the exception of one season where he played shooting guard half the time and it was almost always covering wing players.

He's a bitch, good riddance.

 

[ArizonaSportsFan]

I've heard more crying about Goran than I have heard Goran crying. So there is that...

 

[carrrnuttt]

( despite that he was out playing Goran by a wide margin ).

This can happen when you're put in a position to fail.

And to me, Thomas was the chucker/cancer who ate away at the team as he stole playing time from more deserving and/or needed-to-be developed players.

 

[Phrazbit]

This can happen when you're put in a position to fail.

And to me, Thomas was the chucker/cancer who ate away at the team as he stole playing time from more deserving and/or needed-to-be developed players.

Like I said, Goran got to play his role in Miami and put up the same mediocre numbers he was posting here. It wasn't the position, it was the player.

In the end he did us a favor. By forcing his way out he spared us the horror of paying him a max or near max deal. That and we get 2 first round picks from a geriatric Miami team.

 

[carrrnuttt]

Like I said, Goran got to play his role in Miami and put up the same mediocre numbers he was posting here. It wasn't the position, it was the player.

Sure.

http://hoopshabit.com/2015/05/21/goran-dragic-worth-more-than-numbers-to-miami-heat/

In the world of the NBA, it’s a big mistake to solely look at statistics when considering whether a player is worth a certain salary. The Miami Heat have a decision to make with soon-to-be free agent Goran Dragic (player option for 2015-16) — and it goes beyond his already impressive statline.

Don’t get me wrong, Gogi has impressed on the court. In his 26 games with the Heat, he averaged 16.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 80.8 percent from the foul line. His PER in those games was an 18.8, which represented the second-best number he’s posted in any stop during his seven-year career.

Perhaps even more important than those numbers was the fact that Dragic was able to get back to playing more point guard, where he’s much more comfortable. According to basketball-reference.com, he played just seven percent of his minutes in Phoenix at the point, compared to 58 percent in Miami. This enabled him to get back to doing what he does best — get to the basket and finish (at a 68.6 percent clip inside three feet).

In 1,735 minutes in Phoenix, Dragic drew 44 shooting fouls and completed just 12 and-1’s.

In 905 minutes in Miami, Dragic drew 38 shooting fouls and completed 11 and-1’s.

But, those are just numbers. There’s a bigger picture here. Although the Heat already have some strong locker room leaders in Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem, they lost their most reliable leader when LeBron James moved his talents back away from South Beach.

With all due respect to one of the greatest shooting guards to ever play the game, players can only be so valuable sitting on the bench, the training table, or at home. Dragic has played in 95.1 percent (297 of 312) of his team’s games over the last four seasons. Teammates can count on him to be one of the toughest, most durable players on the team — despite his penchant for hitting the floor.

How about late game situations, when the team needs a bucket? It’s a small sample size, but Dragic was a plus-15 in the 10 minutes he played with the Heat when the game was in the last minute and within five points.

 

[Ronin]

 

[Mainstreet]

It was hard reading the post Carrrnuttt with the lettering screaming at me. However, I think most Suns fans agree that Dragic was the best PG on the team. Maybe the Suns front office felt the same and would have traded Bledsoe in the offseason if Dragic had not demanded a trade. IT was going to be traded in any regard.

 

[BC867]

It was hard reading the post Carrrnuttt with the lettering screaming at me. However, I think most Suns fans agree that Dragic was the best PG on the team. Maybe the Suns front office felt the same and would have traded Bledsoe in the offseason if Dragic had not demanded a trade. IT was going to be traded in any regard.

Do you really think that the Front Office would have traded Bledsoe in the offseason if Dragic had not demanded a trade?

'Not a chance!

 

[Mainstreet]

Do you really think that the Front Office would have traded Bledsoe in the offseason if Dragic had not demanded a trade?

'Not a chance!

I think trading Bledsoe in the off season was a possibility if Dragic had not demanded a trade. I still think trading Bledsoe or Knight prior to the February trade deadline is a real possibility.

 

[SirStefan32]

Do you really think that the Front Office would have traded Bledsoe in the offseason if Dragic had not demanded a trade?

'Not a chance!

I agree. McD like most managers, likes his own people. Dragic was Sarver's player, and unless Sarver demanded doing whatever it takes to keep Dragic, Bledoe was not going anywhere. Sarver was obviously not going to do that. I am glad to hear Dragic and Sarver are OK.

 

[Phrazbit]

Sure.

http://hoopshabit.com/2015/05/21/goran-dragic-worth-more-than-numbers-to-miami-heat/

Which was virtually the same stats he was posting in Phoenix. He shot .001% better in Miami, he averaged one more assist. All while playing way more minutes at his preferred position.

And what did that translate into for Miami? They went from 7th in their conference to 10th. Yes, Bosh was out. But missing the playoffs in the East is an absolute joke, especially when they still had guys like Wade, Deng and Whiteside.

He is a streaky player whom has hovered between average and above average for all but one season of his career. And that ignores his defense, which is atrocious.

 

[Errntknght]

I agree with Dragic, its time to let the topic pass into history. There was never any chance that the Suns would be a contender soon enough for Dragic to be a major part of it, so he wound up doing the team a favor by opting to leave - I don't believe Sarver would ever allowed McD to deal him away. That's not to say we turned his departure into any sort of progress toward contending. Quite the opposite, IMO, in losing Ennis and bringing in Brandon Knight. I see no future in Jeff's zero PG offense.

 

[slinslin]

This can happen when you're put in a position to fail.

And to me, Thomas was the chucker/cancer who ate away at the team as he stole playing time from more deserving and/or needed-to-be developed players.

Thomas outplayed Dragic that is why he earned playing time.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Sure.

http://hoopshabit.com/2015/05/21/goran-dragic-worth-more-than-numbers-to-miami-heat/

You can make numbers say anything. The simple fact is that the Suns were best in the 2013-14 season when both Goran and Bledsoe were on the court. They were only .500 with Goran alone. He tried to carry the entire team on his back and did so at a pace that would be unsustainable for his body.

He is not that good of a distributor and we see the article says that. He did not buy into a style that had already demonstrated was best for the team.

The jury is still out on the two-pg (combo guard) line-up. It sounds like Bledsoe and Knight are both buying in. So I guess we will find out if it can be effective.