Goran Dragic explains why he really doesn’t need the All-Star break. And a Heat injury update

With Thursday night’s road matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans marking the Miami Heat’s final game before the All-Star break, veteran guard Goran Dragic reflected on the first half of the regular season a few hours before tip-off.

A first half that included injury issues and protocol-related absences that kept multiple key Heat players out for extended stretches.

“It has been tough,” Dragic said following the Heat’s shootaround session Thursday morning in New Orleans. “But every team in this league is going through those times. It’s not easy with the protocols and the injuries. But we feel like we bounced back. We need to finish the job [Thursday] and try to get back to .500 and take that break, try to recover a little bit and then finish the job strong.”

Dragic entered Thursday averaging 14.9 points while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 36.2 percent on threes, three rebounds and 4.9 assists in 21 games (eight starts) this season.

Dragic, who turns 35 on May 6, has been one of the Heat’s key pieces who has already been unavailable for a chunk of games. He has missed 14 games during the first half of the regular season — two because of the NBA’s health and safety protocols, three because of a left groin strain and nine because of a sprained left ankle.

The longest stretch of consecutive games that Dragic has played in so far this season is eight because of those three separate multigame absences.

“It’s not easy,” he said. “I deal with it as much as I can and try to look for positives. We still got one more game and then after the All-Star break, hopefully we’re going to find some consistent playing time. Not only me, but as a group and as a unit so we can get back to being us.”

Following Thursday’s game in New Orleans, the Heat will return from the break to resume its schedule on March 11 against the Orlando Magic at AmericanAirlines Arena. That week off will be welcomed by most players on Miami’s roster, but Dragic feels differently about the upcoming break.

“If I’m honest, I already had a break. I was hurt for two or three weeks,” said Dragic, who just returned last week after missing nine games because of a sprained ankle. “I was at home, getting treatment to get back. I was not with the team, so basically that was my break. But I do feel like that the team needs it to try to recharge our batteries. I’m going to stay in Miami, and every day try to go to the gym if that’s going to be possible and try to do some work.”

This season’s NBA All-Star break during the COVID-19 pandemic includes no international travel and daily testing for players.

NO HEADS UP

Heat center Bam Adebayo and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo share the same agent, Alex Saratsis.

So there was a theory that Saratsis would inform the Heat of Antetokounmpo’s intentions before Miami committed a big chunk of 2021 cap space to Adebayo this past offseason. But Saratsis said that never happened.

“I can tell you that honestly,” Saratsis told Complex. “‘Oh, well Bam signed, they must know something.’ They knew nothing. And I made sure. Agents do this all the time: You leverage one guy for another. And I never do that. It’s good to have information, but I would never talk Giannis’ business with Miami, and I would never talk about Miami’s business with any other team. You don’t leverage one guy for another.”

Adebayo ended up signing the richest contract in Heat history in late November — a five-year, $163 million max contract extension that could grow to as much as $195 million.

And Antetokounmpo signed a five-year, $228 million supermax extension with the Bucks just a few weeks later.

A RISING STAR

There won’t be a Rising Stars Game during the All-Star break this season because of the pandemic, but the NBA on Wednesday named players who would have been on those teams had there been a game. And Heat second-year guard Tyler Herro and rookie center Precious Achiuwa were both named to the game, which includes first- and second-year players.

“It’s a great honor,” said Herro, who missed last year’s Rising Stars Game because of a foot injury. “I mean, it’s my second year being nominated for it, my second year not being able to play. So I haven’t really gotten the full experience of it. But, like I said, it’s a great honor to be selected again.”

INJURY UPDATE

Heat star wing Jimmy Butler made his return Thursday against the Pelicans after missing the previous two games with right knee inflammation. But star center Bam Adebayo missed the Heat’s final game before the All-Star break because of left knee tendinitis.

It’s the same knee injury that had Adebayo on the injury report for two of the Heat’s previous three games, but he ended up playing in both games.

Guard Avery Bradley (right calf strain) and center Meyers Leonard (season-ending left shoulder surgery) also missed Thursday’s contest. It marks the 15th consecutive game that Bradley has missed.