OVERVIEW
Goran Dragic caught the attention of NBA scouts last season. His vast improvement as a shooter -- he made 61.0 percent of his field goals and 47.1 percent from 3-point range -- made him worth a look.
With a lack of quality point guards available, a player with his scoring touch could add a valuable combo player an NBA team's rotation.
Dragic made his basketball debut in 2003-04, playing for the local Ilirija Ljubljana team in the Slovenian League second division. He was a member of the Slovenian National U-20 team that won a gold medal at the 2004 European Under-20 Championship. He signed with KD Slovan Ljubljana in 2004-05. After the season, he rejoined the Slovenian National U-20 squad, playing in the 2005 European Under-20Championship.
In 2006-07, Dragic was a member of the Polaris World Murcia CB team in Spain. He played in the 2006 Slovenian All Star Game before moving to Spain. For Murcia, he appeared in 27 games in ACB competition. He averaged 4.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, shooting 38.1 percent from the floor and 68.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Back in Slovenia for the 2007-08 campaign, Dragic's stellar play saw his new team capture the Slovenian National Championship. He appeared in 28 games, averaging 12.0 points per game. He handed out 87 assists, grabbed 98 rebounds and had 48 steals.
ANALYSIS
Positives: Has very good size for a point guard, standing at nearly 6-foot-4, using his length, wingspan and lateral agility to excel defensively ... Made great strides as a shooter, especially from long range, last year, becoming much more confident in his explosive initial step, balance and footwork to penetrate the defense and draw contact ... At the foul line, he displays better elbow bend and a quick release, but is still a work in progress ... For a backcourt player, he has a long wingspan (78 inches) and has a hard-nosed attitude for a guard, preferring to do most of his scoring in the paint, even though his shooting range is more than adequate ... Has the court speed to push the ball on the fast break and a veteran's savvy, knowing when to shift tempo ... Takes good angles to attack soft spots in zone defenses, demonstrating the balance needed to take on contact but still finish with defenders draped all over him ... His lower-body strength allows him to easily penetrate vs. wing players and bigger forwards ... Is a disruptive force attacking the ball in the passing lanes, opponents were almost fearful to put the ball on the floor when he was on the court, knowing that he would eventually find a way to steal it ... Savvy decision-maker with the ball in his hands, especially in transition ... Uses his quickness well and has a soft touch to finish at the rim ... Good at gaining enough space to execute his jumper from mid-range ... Has a high release point from 3-point range ... Gets very good elevation going to the rim and can finish with either hand ... Tough player in traffic, absorbing contact well to draw contract on the way to the charity stripe ... Shows the vision to distribute the ball away from double teams, but still needs to be a bit patient with the ball in his hands ... Very creative with his shot when coming off the dribble and has also shown good unselfishness, as he will look for cutters or shooters ... Excites the crowd with his "no look" passing ability, and is quite effective passing on the move ... Defensive-oriented player who clogs passing lanes and has the hand quickness and wingspan to be a top thief (improved from 16 steals in 26 games in 2006-07 to 48 steals in 28 games in 2007-08) ... Still getting comfortable with his ball-handling skills, but with his vastly improved scoring touch, range and size, he could also be effective at the two-guard spot (adds to his value as a combo guard off the bench).
Negatives: Fights through screens but knows he needs to add more bulk to his frame to be effective doing this vs. more physical NBA players ... Even though he has a slight frame, he sometimes gets too determined to drive into the paint, failing to finish when he gets bounced around too much in traffic (opponents know that he prefers to penetrate in attempts to score and that he has not yet developed confidence in his jumper, so they give him space when on the outside, knowing that he has less of a chance to score from the perimeter) ... When he sets his feet, he has a decent jumper, but more often than not, he gets too out of control when left on an "island" by himself to shoot ... When taking shots from the perimeter, he tends to push the ball rather than following through and his release point drops ... Can't make a living in the NBA driving through the lane as he did in Europe ... Shows better ball-handling ability, but gets in trouble when he keeps the ball on the floor too long, as he has a high dribble ... Has worked hard on his passing skills, but there are times he gives up the ball when he has an easy look ... Might be a better fit at shooting guard -- is an adequate passer in transition, but will try to force the ball out too much when in a crowd, even before his target has a chance to get open (must make better decisions) ... Seems to be too "married" to the ball and doesn't move without the ball ... Has better consistency shooting with his left hand and needs to show the same confidence shooting from his right, as he has become a bit predictable.
Compares To: JOSE CALDERON-Toronto ... Some compare Dragic to San Antonio's Tony Parker, but Dragic's offensive game doesn't compare. The Union Olimpija product is bigger than most point guards in this draft, but with his ability to penetrate and finish at the basket, along with the pressure he puts on perimeter shooters, he might be a better fit at the two guard spot. He is a much better passer and ball-handler on the move and has an explosive first step to create mismatches vs. wing players. His jump shot is vastly improved. He is such a disruptive force in the passing lane, opponents have become very fearful of putting the ball on the floor with him hovering around. Still, he has poor shooting mechanics (will never take the same shot twice) and is quite turnover prone, especially when he puts the ball on the floor from a static position to be someone that a coach might be confident keeping on the court for a long stretch at the point.
CAREER NOTES
In 55 ACB/Euroleague games over the last two seasons, Dragic shot 54.7 percent from the field, 42.3 percent from 3-point range and 70.4 percent from the free-throw line ... He averaged 8.3 points, 2.4 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.2 blocks per game.
2007-08 SEASON
Played in a total of 28 games for Union Olimpija Ljubljana, scoring 336 points (12.0 per game), as he registered 98 rebounds (3.5 per game), 87 assists (3.1 per game), eight blocked shots and 48 steals (1.7 per game) ... Shot 61.0 percent from the field, 47.1 percent from 3-point range and 72.5 percent from the foul line ... In 13 Eurloleague contests, he scored 126 points (9.7 percent), making 42-of-69 field goals (60.9 percent), 17-of-24 free throws (70.8 percent) and 9-of-33 3-pointers (27.3 percent) ... In those 13 contests, he also produced 40 assists (3.1 per game), 15 steals (1.2 per game) and 38 rebounds (2.9 per game).
2006-07 SEASON
Appeared in a total of 27 games for Polaris World Murcia CB in the Spanish ACB League, scoring 124 points (4.6 per game), shooting 38.1 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from 3-point range and 68.6 percent from the free-throw line ... Grabbed 51 rebounds (1.9 per game) with 46 assists (1.7 per game), adding 16 steals (0.6 per game) and three blocked shots.
INJURY REPORT
No injuries reported.
PERSONAL
Born 5/06/86 ... Resides in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Thanks for the translation.
