Miami Heat top reserve Goran Dragic `ready to roll'

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is holding nothing back when it comes to reserve point guard Goran Dragic.

Even at 34, there are no plans of restricting Dragic during the restart to the NBA season in Orlando this month. Spoelstra said Dragic is a full go in practices and games.

"He's ready to roll," Spoelstra said in a recent interview with local reporters. "I think he's loving this. He really wants to get out there and compete. We're not doing daily doubles. Yeah, he's able to get some possessions off during practice. He also really takes care of himself."

Before the season, Spoelstra decided to move Dragic from the starting lineup to the bench. Despite being a few years removed from his first All-Star season in 2018, Dragic readily accepted the switch. He has arguably been the among the league's top reserves this season. Dragic is averaging 16.1 points, 5.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds for a team that holds the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. The numbers are comparable to his best years in the league, even when he was a third-team All-NBA selection in 2013-14.

While Spoelstra expects the same minutes load from Dragic during the final eight regular season games and playoffs, the Heat have lessened the load during practice. They recently held a five-minute scrimmage, which is far from the Heat norm.

"We're already working on to be more connected on the floor," Dragic said. "We need to go over our plays and start feeling comfortable with our plays ... So far, so good.

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