You can’t blame the C’s for feeling this way.
The Chicago Bulls obviously don’t care much for either the Boston Celtics or the Milwaukee Bucks—they already have a lot on their plate at the moment—but a move they made may have helped tilt the table in favor of one of the mentioned Eastern Conference powerhouse teams.
Waived the Dragon
The Chicago Bulls picked up Goran Dragic in the offseason to give the team some veteran leadership and experience. However, things didn’t work out, and the Bulls waived the Dragon on March 1st. The Milwaukee Bucks, eager to add depth to their backcourt with the NBA Playoffs looming, moved in on Dragic, signing him for the rest of the season on March 4th.
The move did not sit well with the Celtics, a team that is pursuing another Eastern Conference title. In fact, a report says the Celtics are mad at the Bulls for letting Dragic go.
“They’re one of the teams pissed that the Bulls let Goran Dragic go because now, with Jae Crowder, the Bucks just have all this depth at every spot,” an Eastern Conference executive mentioned to Sean Devensy of Heavy Sports.
“If you go back to the Christmas game, the Celtics have always felt good about what they can do against Milwaukee. But now, Milwaukee has this extra layer of flexibility they can throw at the Celtics, a guy who can surprise you and play 20 or 25 minutes and help you win a game.”
Even though his numbers this season—6.4 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.4 rebounds per game—do not reflect Dragic’s value, the Slovenian can be counted on for some shot-creation, spot-up shooting and, most of all, on-court leadership. Dragic has played in 60 playoff games, including the 2020 NBA Finals, where he helped lead the Miami Heat with averages of 19.1 points and 4.4 assists.
Game-changer
It remains to be seen what role Dragic will have with this Bucks squad, considering he has yet to play for his new team. As of now, Jrue Holiday is entrenched as the starter, while Jevon Carter backs him up off the bench. What Dragic does give the Bucks, though, is a lot of flexibility and depth in case a perimeter player for the Bucks suffers an injury or simply needs some rest.
“Boston is a lot more predictable,” the exec said. “They’re not going to play Luke Kornet for 20 minutes in a playoff game. But Dragic, he could be a game-changer at some point in the playoffs.”
