Miami Heat Taking Things Slow With Goran Dragic

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra offers an update on how he plans to handle guard Goran Dragic this season. Dragic missed most of the NBA Finals after tearing his plantar fascia against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“We don’t have him in every single rep of these practices,” Spoelstra said. “He’s a seasoned veteran, too. He knows when to plug himself into practice and when to protect himself. We haven’t had any issues with that. If it does get to a point where I have to intervene and make sure he’s not doing too much and I will. We already have such a history together. It just kind of works. He knows the deal. I know the deal. We’re just getting him ready for the big picture.”

The Heat are taking a similar approach with All-Star Jimmy Butler. Although Butler didn't sustain a serious injury, they will monitor his minutes.

“He’s not going to be playing the kind of minutes, regardless, that he was playing when he was in his early 20s,” Spoelstra said. “We were already adjusting that last year during the regular season. I understand how much energy that he expended during that bubble run.”

Dragic and Butler were the Heat's leading two scorers during their run to the NBA Finals last season. They lost in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Heat open the season Dec. 25 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

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