Phoenix Suns sign Zoran Dragic

[m1chal]

Any way we can get both Robin and Brook to build The Band Of Brothers superteam?

[Superbone]

I'm still not convinced Zoran is a contributor though I would love to be wrong. From what I've read, he wasn't brought in for basketball reasons.

You must have read different articles than me. Speculation here doesn't count.

[Revived]

A guy on the GB posted this

Woj: "Phoenix signs Dragic's ret*rded cousin, Moron Dragic"

[Revived]

Why are you guys stockpiling so many guards?

Why did David Kahn stockpile so many guards years ago?

[Bizz]

I understand that most of you know nothing about Zoran and with the Suns history of singing the lesser brother your expectations are not really high. But let me tell you that by the beginning of December he will be the fans favorite player, because if you can expect anything from Zoki (Zoki is equivalent to Gogi as Zoran is to Goran) is that he will be going full speed all the time. While that might cause him to be benched in some teams I don't expect that from Suns as mistakes will be more tolerated and the whole team should play full speed all the time.

While Zoran does struggle with some confidence issues from time to time as Goran used to he comes to the NBA far more ready and will have his brother there to make his transition easier. I know the rotation at Zorans position is loaded, but I expect him to play decent minutes by the second month. Why? Because he will fight for his minutes and when on the floor with Goran I am sure he will also produce enough to earn them.

I won't go into to much details with his game but lets just point out what can you expect. Like most people that seen him play I must start with his defense. He is a great defender. He likes to guard opposing teams best players. He has done that for Slovenia an Malaga with plenty of success. In my opinion his defense on Francisco Garcia (7 points) WC best scorer with almost 20ppg average up to 1/8 finals and on James Harden (1/10 shooting while being defended by Zoki) in the 1/4 finals is what got him a contract in the NBA. But I expect some foul trouble while he is adjusting to the speed of the league.

He also improved his 3pt shooting in the last 2 years. While before you cringed when he shoot the ball now you expect it to go in. His improvement gives me confidence that with some more work and extra spacing NBA provides, he will be shooting 35% or more by year 2.

So here is your 3andD player. But Zoki like his brother is also exceptional on fast break and solid at driving to the rim. So he can really provide some elements highly appreciated in the NBA and his game like Gorans is perfect for the Suns system. PJ better stop drinking or Zoran will take his position by the time the playoffs start.

[aIvin adams]

...

I won't go into to much details with his game but lets just point out what can you expect. Like most people that seen him play I must start with his defense. He is a great defender. He likes to guard opposing teams best players. He has done that for Slovenia an Malaga with plenty of success. In my opinion his defense on Francisco Garcia (7 points) WC best scorer with almost 20ppg average up to 1/8 finals and on James Harden (1/10 shooting while being defended by Zoki) in the 1/4 finals is what got him a contract in the NBA. But I expect some foul trouble while he is adjusting to the speed of the league.

He also improved his 3pt shooting in the last 2 years. While before you cringed when he shoot the ball now you expect it to go in. His improvement gives me confidence that with some more work and extra spacing NBA provides, he will be shooting 35% or more by year 2.

So here is your 3andD player. But Zoki like his brother is also exceptional on fast break and solid at driving to the rim. So he can really provide some elements highly appreciated in the NBA and his game like Gorans is perfect for the Suns system. ....

[Nolan]

Love the move for you guys. He's a perfect fit for the style of game you guys play and he's a steal for 2 Mill a season.

I was really hoping the Spurs would sign him.

[Sun Scorched]

Love the move for you guys. He's a perfect fit for the style of game you guys play and he's a steal for 2 Mill a season.

I was really hoping the Spurs would sign him.

If we could even channel 1/10th of the Spurs FO, I'd be thrilled.

Pretty interesting though, as the Suns/Spurs were the teams that swapped Dragic/Blair on draft night. Also, Dragic seems like the perfect Spurs player - perhaps slightly less controlled than Pop would like - be I think he is the league's next Ginobili in terms of the longevity/Euro connection.

[LordBaldric]

Why are you guys stockpiling so many guards?

Why did David Kahn stockpile so many guards years ago?

Because he was an idiot.

[Nando88]

I really hope Zoran gets some court time. I can tell he'll be a fan favorite. Good stuff here:

http://youtu.be/yMspiCLnSpo


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[Revived]

Why are you guys stockpiling so many guards?

Why did David Kahn stockpile so many guards years ago?

Because he was an idiot.

Well...there's your answer.

[phrazbit]

Why did David Kahn stockpile so many guards years ago?

Because he was an idiot.

Well...there's your answer.

So, now McDonough is an idiot?

And Khan stockpiled terrible guards. He kept bringing in new ones because he previous ones kept sucking ass. The Suns have a lot of quality guards, a lot of assets to swing a trade with and a ton of guys who can push the pace.

I'd rather bring in a wealth of quality guards than waste money on crappy big men that quickly become untradeable and useless.

[preldzic]

I have been following Zoran pretty much since he was 18-19 years old. He has been gradually improving his game and I don't see a reason why he wouldn't get even better in the next two years with the Suns. His career has been all about growth and hard work. E.g. at the age of 20 he turned down a contract offer from Union Olimpija (playing in the Euroleague at that time) to join another Slovenian club which competed in the regional (Balkan) league. Mostly because he believed that he could have improved more under Aleksandar Đikić (former Wolves assistant coach), who was/is known for developing young talents.

I think that his game is more suitable for the NBA as he is more of a specialist than a typical go-to SG which can create his own offense on every possession. In the best case scenario he could be a faster but less explosive version of Tony Allen, but realistically something closer to Thabo Sefolosha. With Keneth Farried kind of a motor. His 3-point shot surely needs some polishing, but the accuracy will also come with an increased confidence, just like in the case of Goran. I believe that he will get a lot of open looks in the fast paced Suns system, significantly more than in Europe or playing for the national team as one of the go-to guys. His defense is already good enough for a starter, yet I don't think that he could match up with starting SFs in the NBA, they are mostly 6 ft 8 in (plus minus 1 in) which is too big of a height difference.

On the other hand I wouldn't expect too much from him in the first season, especially with a very crowded Suns backcourt. He also needs a bit of time to adjust to a new league and a new system. The same thing happened in the first season in Spain - he needed a year with Unicaja Malaga to show all of his talent. But nevertheless, a great signing for the Suns, a very good value for money. I am sure that sooner than later the most exciting part of every game for you fans will be seeing Dragons on the court at the same time - they are really fun to watch, no matter the score!

[mixerball]

[Barkley6]

Does anyone know his wingspan? That would be a big tell as to how well he'll be able to defend opposing 3s. I'm excited to add another athletic guard, especially one that likes to D up. Means that if Zoki's D is as advertised, we can trot out 3 solid wing defenders at once in Tucker, Zoki, and Bledsoe. That's a huge matchup plus against teams like Golden State, LAC, etc. that thrive on good backcourt play.

[lilfishi22]

Love the move for you guys. He's a perfect fit for the style of game you guys play and he's a steal for 2 Mill a season.

I was really hoping the Spurs would sign him.

So glad you guys didn't pull a sneaky one and sign him under our noses. He's exactly the type of player the Spurs bring in with little fanfare (assuming he wasn't Goran's brother) and turns him into a productive surprise player who torches teams because no one game plans for him.