Dallas Mavericks: Goran Dragic is not the guy for the Mavs

The rumors of the Dallas Mavericks pursuing Goran Dragic this summer were rampant for a short time, but it seems the Mavs are more focused on other targets. This is good news for Mavs fans.

There are a number of good rumors that have come out about the Dallas Mavericks free agency plans this year. Whether it is the intention of signing Kristaps Porzingis to a long term contract or the pursuit of Kemba Walker or Khris Middleton, many Mavs fans are eager to see just what the team pulls off this summer.

One name that has popped up in relation with the Mavericks and with Luka Doncic in particular is Goran Dragic. Both Dragic and Luka are native to the country of Slovenia and they were actually born in the same city of Ljubljana. This is a cool thing, kind of like Dirk Nowitzki and Maxi Kleber being born in the same town of Wurzburg, Germany.

Sadly, this is the main reason the rumors even came out. Both players have, of course, expressed interest in playing together, but sadly their style of play does not complement each other the way one would hope. Now, they have played together before and probably have great chemistry together, but that can only take you so far.

The fact is that Dragic would have to move into a two-guard role in order to maximize his best skill (slashing) alongside Luka’s best skill (playmaking). Dragic is a pretty good shooter too, so the two would be able to figure things out offensively it would seem.

The real issue would be on the defensive end of the court. Neither Luke nor Dragic are particularly good defenders. Neither of them are awful, but they wouldn’t be able to cover for each other and that is a big issue. The Mavs would be significantly better off if they focused on finding a two-way guard or at least a defensive specialist to pair next to Luka, otherwise things could be rough.

This is coming from a guy who really likes Dragic’s game and style of play. Before Luka and Kristaps Porzingis came around I would have loved to have him on the Mavs. His skillset is unique but it is effective and Dallas would have definitely benefitted from having him at the helm. Just not anymore.

I don’t want people to think that I would be upset if Dragic came to Dallas either. He, Luka and KP would be a blast to watch together and would really make this team pretty good. But, I do believe there are quite a few free agents that the Mavs have a real shot at that would be a better fit for the Mavs.

Luka and Dragic will have several enjoyable years of playing against each other and the friendly rivalry will always be there. It is for the best for both of them if that rivalry stays on separate teams throughout their NBA careers.