The Dragon is now a mentor for the Miami Heat
Posted October 5, 2025
The key has always been under the mat for Goran Dragic.
The former NBA point guard, who became a fan favorite in Miami not long after being acquired by the Heat during the 2014-15 season, with that popularity peaking during a run to the NBA Finals in 2020, has been welcome back in just about any way he's wanted. And after taking some time off for his family, which still spends time in South Florida, Dragic has been seen around the Heat much more lately, in the facility, the arena and community.
This week, he was at training camp in Boca Raton. And it clearly won't be the last time he will be around the team this season, even if he doesn't have an official role yet.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on having Goran Dragic around the team:
“I tried to recruit him to the coaching staff and he wisely said no.”
They’re trying to find a role for him around the Heat, but Spo says he loves having him around.pic.twitter.com/1IK7j9VsVV — Will Manso (@WillManso) October 1, 2025
Dragic hasn't really wanted to coach, though the Heat would clear a slot -- former teammate Wayne Ellington is one of former Heat players on the staff. He has previously expressed an interest in front office work (he'd be quite the recruiter for European-born players in particular) but a hybrid role would make sense. Dragic is close with
What makes the most sense for now is working with a rookie, first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis. And he was doing that this week. Jakucionis, just 19, has a ways to go, but Dragic didn't really develop until his mid-to-late 20s, and was a second round pick whereas Jakucionis went higher. Dragic made himself a star, and the hope is that the kid can follow a similar path.
Sooner rather than later, especially with the Heat needing a true point guard.
If this reminds you of anything, it should. Way back when, Dragic learned from one of the best to ever play the point guard position, when both were with th Phoenix Suns.
A guy named Steve Nash.
Steve Nash mentored Goran Dragic.
— 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 (@WadexFlash) October 3, 2025
Goran Dragic is now mentoring Kasparas Jakucionis.
Passing of the torch. pic.twitter.com/N5bTp1L4Nb
Jakucionis sees the floor better than Dragic did at an early age, and projects more as a passer than Dragic did. But if Jakucionis can perfect those skills while picking up anything from Dragic's ability to drive and especially finish, the Dragon will have more than done his duty.
Jalen Hurts poses dual-threat problem for Broncos defense
Saquon Barkley is a problem enough for the Denver Broncos defense.
But when you throw in Jalen Hurts as a dual-threat quarterback, that makes the Philadelphia Eagles offense that much tougher to defend. Hurts is capable of beating defenses with his arm or his legs. Yes, the Eagles are experiencing some drama with their receivers at the moment, and A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have been underutilized in a bizarre way. But it’s all just a matter of one game.
All that matters is that Philadelphia wins games. The Eagles are now 20-1 in their last 21 games and 18-0 in their last 18 games started and finished by Hurts.
Now the Broncos will need to find a way to contain Hurts and that dual-threat ability today.
“How we rush this guy is obviously key,” Broncos defense coordinator Vance Joseph said to the media this week. “If everyone’s covered and you have irresponsible rush lanes, (Hurts) will take off and gain the first down, and you’ll never see third-and-long or second-and-long ever. If you don’t contain the quarterback, I think he’s an accurate passer, but when he pulls the ball down, if everyone’s back is turned, he can make a big play on it.
“How we rush him is important. How we stop Saquon is important. They have a lot of weapons that we have to account for, but the quarterback is obviously the main guy. That’s where it starts.”
One of the best ways for the Broncos to slow down Hurts and the Eagles’ offense is to control the ball and time of possession. That starts with a consistent and effective running game.
If J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey get going, that spells success for Denver. It starts by achieving success in the running game early.
“I think that’s just a constant in football,” Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said to the media this week. “When you’re able to run the ball efficiently, it helps everything. I know when you’re calling plays and the run game’s effective, it feels a lot easier than when it’s not. I think both of our runners are averaging over five (yards) a carry, and it’s something that we have confidence in and we’ll lean on going forward for sure.”
Lombardi added that splitting series is how the Broncos envisioned using Dobbins and Harvey based on their differing skill sets as runners.
“They’re really good runners, they’re both effective as pass catchers, both effective as blockers,“ Lombardi said. ”I think getting RJ, making sure that we’re confident that he has the protections down, not physically, but just mentally. He came along quickly with that. I think it’s something we feel good about going forward.”
How successful Denver is in running the ball today will go a long way in helping the defense at least slow down Hurts and the high-flying capability of the Eagles offense.
But as Hurts and Philly have shown, they don’t need much to be dangerous.
