Luol Deng, Done For The Year?
[From the FanShots. No, this isn't ironically good news. It's very very bad. -ed]
With Luol Deng still bothered by a lower right leg injury and with just three weeks remaining in the regular season, there's a possibility the Bulls forward might not return this year.
''It could be,'' coach Vinny Del Negro said before the Bulls' 101-99 victory over the Washington Wizards. ''You just don't know how it's gonna react. We want to be smart about it, too. We don't want him to come back and really seriously injure himself. He's got some discomfort, some pain. Until he gets that worked out, he'll be on the sidelines.'' -- Chicago Sun-Times
10 months ago
J Theory
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It can't be good when your highest paid player is gonna miss the rest of the season and it's the best thing for the team.
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 8:36 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
TMAC
Didn’t have time to check if TMAC makes more than Yao but there is your answer. Houstan unlike the Bulls could actually challange for a title even though I think they are still far behiend 1.Lakers and 2. Spurs.
by Jscho316 on Mar 24, 2009 8:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe
I’m not totally sold that they’re a better team without a healthy T Mac. Key word in that sentence being healthy. I still wonder what they’ll do in the playoffs without a go to wing player. Although I’m pretty sure they can’t do much worse than McGrady has over the years.
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 8:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
They actually passed the Spurs the other night.
But the 2 spot in the West is only 4 games ahead of the 8 spot.
by CrashDavis on Mar 24, 2009 10:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah I still think they can make the 2nd round
though Utah seems to have their number in matchups it seems. It’d be a bit funny for them to make it to the 2nd now though.
by Camry on Mar 24, 2009 1:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree, it's the best thing for the team
because Luol needs to be healthy again, and it will benefit the Bulls. He’s good. The only time he played not injured this year is in January and he was very good (and made a difference), in spite of VDN.
You guys are too quick to dismiss a player.
The Game chose him !
by Diabolo on Mar 24, 2009 9:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
because taking time means thinking
and thinking gets in the way of typing.
USE THE SOFTWARE. Actions-> Rec/Flag. Reply to comments with the reply button. Rec good fanposts/fanshots so the crud gets pushed down.
by your friendly BullsBlogger on Mar 24, 2009 9:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
So you're saying if I type that I don't like Luol Deng, I'm not thinking?
I disagree. “Too quick to dismiss a player” is saying that Ben Gordon sucks because he had a seven turnover game or because Derrick Rose has a poor stretch of games. I think at this point it’s not by any means jumping the gun to dislike Luol Deng. In fact maybe you guys are too loyal. The guy had one nice stretch of basketball the entire season meanwhile his admirers made excuses and blamed the coaching staff. He’s missed significant time essentially every year of his career and now, with his new contract, he’s become the highest paid player on the team. What’s not to love?
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 10:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Also, does that mean that you think this team would be better if Luol came back tomorrow?
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 10:03 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
of course they would be.
if only because it’d mean they’d at least have backup 3. argh.
USE THE SOFTWARE. Actions-> Rec/Flag. Reply to comments with the reply button. Rec good fanposts/fanshots so the crud gets pushed down.
by your friendly BullsBlogger on Mar 24, 2009 10:06 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It would not be that easy
You think he would come back and be a 15 minute replacement for Salmons? Also there would definitely be road bumps in trying to fit him back in with the team. Just look at the Salmons Miller trade for an example. We were a better team immediately, but it took time to get everyone playing cohesively. Do they really want to go through that with 11 games left in the season right when they’re starting to play their best?
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 10:19 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
"right when they’re starting to play their best?"
really? Even if that’s true, they still are pretty bad overall. Getting a good player back only helps. I’m simple like that.
USE THE SOFTWARE. Actions-> Rec/Flag. Reply to comments with the reply button. Rec good fanposts/fanshots so the crud gets pushed down.
by your friendly BullsBlogger on Mar 24, 2009 11:16 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, it's kinda semantics
if you just wanna rip the team then I guess you can make fun of the fact that this is the best they’ve played, but I don’t think anybody would dispute that it actually is the best they’ve played. And it’s not really as simple as you make it out to be. Add good player = get better is most definitely not a formula that always works. You always have to consider the circumstance in which the player is being added. Also, it’s not like the player in question (Luol) is so good that he would have any certain impact even if he somehow regained top form. Sometimes it’s better to have role players imo.
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 11:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i would wholeheartedly dispute that this is the best they've played
i think the best they’ve played this year was right before the miller/salmons trade. not saying that it was a bad trade or that miller and salmons haven’t played well for us, because they have, but since they’ve gotten here deng’s gotten hurt and tyrus hasn’t played as well. remember all that talk about us finishing the year something like 18-9 because we were playing so well and the schedule was going to get easier?
by Calogero on Mar 24, 2009 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed. The depth alone that it would add would be beneficial.
I don’t think that can be argued right there. But as it stands, we don’t seem to miss him. Now if Tim Thomas can’t play and God forbid Salmons sustains some sort of injury, then we’re in BIG TROUBLE…because then VDN will get to start Hinrich at the 3 like I believe he really wants to do anyway judging by the small lineup he goes with…LOL.
by lexdiamonds0730 on Mar 24, 2009 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
When is he going to heal?
He has yet to say he is going to NOT play all summer for the Brits. They have given us nothing to be optimistic about.
Everything I post is speculation. I have no insider information nor ideas deemed concrete enough by those who are self-elected to regulate post content.
by cranscape on Mar 24, 2009 9:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
boooooooo.
Luol Deng, why must you frustate and disappoint me so?
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 9:25 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd. So true...
"It’d be ridiculous to hate someone for simply what they say in a sports blog. But I greatly dislike every syllable of your angst-filled, smarmy, nondescript, half-assed, elitist-garbage responses." –Rogerspark Kris
by bullhockey on Mar 24, 2009 12:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Deng has a lot to think about....while he heals.
by Bart71 on Mar 24, 2009 10:00 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Deng better not go trying to be the Great British savior this summer.
Then maybe we can get an 18/8 season out of him next year (and I’ll FINALLY stop complaining about him).
by lexdiamonds0730 on Mar 24, 2009 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
LOL
Would you do that? After all, you’re the guy that keeps complaining about him only getting 18/8 for three quarters and not being a factor on the last quarter – something I’m starting to agree with.
by bull83 on Mar 24, 2009 4:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I just want him to get his head out of his ass when the game hangs in the balance.
But if we’re winning and he’s giving us 18/8 then there is nothing to complain about. My big issue with him is that we could win more if he gave us more. Until Rose got here, Deng was probably the guy on the roster capable of making the most dramatic improvement. But he settles for jump shots too often instead of making himself a weapon on other areas floor and I at this point in his career (year 6 for him when he comes back) I just don’t see him getting much better. So to get back to 18/8 would be fantastic.
by lexdiamonds0730 on Mar 25, 2009 8:14 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Worse yet though....
…if this guy goes and tries to play for GB this summer, I may have to surmise that he kind of milked his injury and if that’s the case I will lose ALL RESPECT for him. That will be unforgivable!! So I REALLY hope we don’t see that happen this summer.
by lexdiamonds0730 on Mar 24, 2009 12:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah, you know how i like deng
and even i’d be pissed if he goes to play for GB.
"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"
by Jaina on Mar 24, 2009 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You think they'd be
this cautious if he didn’t have that huge contract? This is probably a smart move, you don’t want him to come back early and possibly hurting himself even more, and for what, a first-round exit? Let him heal and install a real offensive system this summer that actually utilizes his strengths, because he does have many of them.
"The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote: 'A flute with no holes is not a flute, And a doughnut with no hole is a Danish.' He was a funny guy."
by Ugh It Live! on Mar 24, 2009 10:32 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Yea, let's spend the off season tailoring this offense to fit Luol Deng's strengths
that sounds like a definite way to get to a championship level of basketball. Forget about trying to form this around Derrick Rose, let’s make sure we protect the 72 million dollar investment. I’d like to know the offense that people are talking about when they say that? You wanna change everything to make one player look better?
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 10:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
having a real offensive system would make everyone better. not just Luol.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 11:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well that's obvious
but to say that we need an offense that caters specifically to Luol is not really something I’m interested in. That’s not to say he can’t be a better player than he was this year, but his play was just one of a few problems that I have with him.
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 11:16 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Also, Vinny already does run run a lot of plays through the high post
with Noah and Miller. Those are pretty much perfect for his cutting game. I’ve actually been disappointed by that because I’d like to see more plays where Rose is creating, if for any other reason, just to get him experience. I’m not sure how much more stuff you can do for him to get him going.
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 11:20 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The only "plays" I've seen from the high post is Noah or Miller getting the ball
there, deciding they don’t have a good shot, and then standing with the ball above their heads until someone moves or cuts into position to receive a pass.
Those “plays” don’t look diagrammed, they look like they are usually the result of some sort of busted set that caused Joakim to get the ball where he shouldn’t be operating for the most part – i.e. away from the basket- or where Brad got the ball in a spot where he can make the shot, but just doesn’t have a good look and is forced to pass.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Really, I think I've seen the ball thrown into them early in the shot clock in order to initiate offense.
I’m not saying he runs a bunch of different stuff off of that, but I’m pretty sure we do that quite often
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 12:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've seen them do what you say a few times, but it's pretty rare from what I've seen. I certainly wouldn't say it's done "quite often"
the vast majority of our plays seem to be running the same two or three plays. Isos for Rose, Gordon, or Salmons. Or pick and rolls/ pops at the top of the key, and that’s about it.
It’s really bad.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well I wasn't saying that Vinny was innovative
just that I thought he actually did have a few wrinkles thrown in, but I agree our offense is pathetic. Still, the reason we win games and are even challenging for a playoff spot is cause we have talent. Talent wins in the NBA and talented players always find ways to contribute. So what exactly does that say about Luol when we have to scheme in order to get him involved?
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 12:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Luol is less physically gifted than the other players
but that doesn’t mean he’s less talented. Moving off the ball is a talent, it is a skill, and it is a skill that has to be properly utilized by the coaching staff.
In the same way that being able to go iso is a skill. Coaches still have to utilize that skill, though. Otherwise, you’d just have one guy going iso all the time and no matter how talented the guy is, that can’t work.
They are different skills, and maybe being able to work in isolation is a bit more valuable, but to say that Luol is somehow not good or flawed because his skills aren’t being properly utilized is, I think, wrongheaded.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well every single player in the NBA is talented and has skills
and I’m sure there are players that are currently sitting on the edge of the bench right now that could be productive players if they had the proper coach and the proper system. Luol is being paid to be to an upper echelon type of talent. Not someone that is constantly reliant on other people to make him effective.
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well,
Luol is being paid to be to an upper echelon type of talent.
no, he’s not. He’s being paid the going rate for young wings that have had very productive seasons within the past 2 or 3 seasons. That’s what he is and that’s what he’s being paid as. He’s overpaid, especially given how misused he is right now, but almost everyone in the league is overpaid. It’s the nature of the business (unfortunately).
The real problem, for me, with Deng, is his inability to stay healthy for a full season and how much nagging injuries limit his effectiveness, especially because he seems to almost always have some injury that’s bothering him.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
His talent level has never been an issue.
In fact, Deng is supremely talented. You can see the European influence all over Deng’s game (slashing, jump shooting, not much of a post game, not a great individual player or overly athletic, thinks the game…perhaps even too much at times, etc…). What’s at issue is how badly he wants to win. Deng never takes over the game, though he has the talent to do so. There have been several guys with his physical shortcomings who have been able to assert their will onto the game. Until Deng learns how to do that, he’ll remain where he is in the game.
by lexdiamonds0730 on Mar 24, 2009 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It is tough to assert your "will" onto a game with the skillset
that Deng has.
Because he relies on motion, cutting, and receiving good passes from other players, much of his ability to be effective is tied to his teammates finding him. Guys that can isolate have the advantage over Luol here because they can simply go get the ball and then create that way.
Luol has tried to do that few times over the last year or so, usually with disastrous results. It’s just not his game.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 12:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
That is why gametime is the wrong time to try to get better at it.
That’s what the offseason is for. I thought that’s what playing for GB was for. To expand his game.
Anyone who has played the game knows that motion, cutting, etc… is designed to break down the defense. To catch the other team slipping and take advantage. But as I said before, when you have defenders engaged like they usually are down the stretch of a game, then you simply have to have guys who are shot makers with the ball in their hands, and in reality, this is what seperates the boys from the men in the NBA. This ability to make something out of nothing. Obviously guys like Kobe, Lebron and D-Wade are shot makers. But Ben Gordon is a shot maker. Joe Johnson is a shot maker. Jason Terry is a shot maker. Danny Granger is a shot maker. These guys all possess the ability to make something happen when the offense grinds to a halt or when you don’t get what you wanted from the offensive set. They didn’t all start off like that but have all become that type of player. I wish Deng had become that type of player.
Deng doesn’t have this ability as of yet though and in the past it really stood out down the stretch when Gordon constantly had to dribble around and bounce the ball off his foot or turn it over or whatever to create a shot because we had no other “shot makers”. We now have Rose and Salmons who are capable of doing that so the pressure may be off Deng ultimately.
by lexdiamonds0730 on Mar 25, 2009 8:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree about him needing to work on getting
better in the offseason, rather than playing for GB. I’m really irked by him not taking this summer off to work on his game, rather than waste another offseason not improving and possibly screwing up his health again.
I don’t know that he’ll ever become that isolation player, his handle just isn’t that good, and he does a poor job of creating space to get his shot off because he’s not particularly quick and no one is afraid that he’ll beat them off the dribble (which goes back to his lack of a good handle and his lack of footspeed).
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 25, 2009 2:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Deng has become an opportunist.
At this point, Deng scores and does many other things when he catches the defender in a lapse and not completely concentrating. This is part of the reason i believe he’s such a non-factor down the stretch of most games. When the opposition pays attention to him then he gets bumped on those cuts, he doesn’t get those open looks, the ball pressure picks up hence him not being able to make dribble moves, etc…
This is why I advocate Deng develop a back to the basket game. When you are as big as he is, you can give somebody a headache when they have to defend you multiple ways. Deng simply is not hard to defend when the opposition is engaged and he’s gotta add to his game in order to make himself more of a weapon.
by lexdiamonds0730 on Mar 25, 2009 8:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Confused
Does “real offensive system” simply mean “better coaching”? I’m not sure I understand what an offensive system is (at least the way that term is used on this board). Believe it or not, the Bulls run plays so they already have some kind of system. It’s not like they just run out there with no plan (although it sometimes looks like it). I just think they are poorly coached. I doubt that VDN is going to install the triangle, so what “system” do people want? I hope nobody is looking for plays to be run specifically for Deng.
by Stay Chisel on Mar 24, 2009 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
we don't really run plays. we run isolations primarily.
and run the occassional high pick and roll or pick and pop. There’s really not much to the offensive sets that the Bulls are running and they still don’t execute them very well.
It’s pretty pathetic.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 11:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
There's other systems
than the triangle people. We don’t have the low-post player to effectively run the triangle so I don’t know why people are even suggesting it.
And to answer your question, yes, by “real offensive system” I, and others I assume mean better coaching. This isn’t just a knock on VDN, but also on Del Harris because he’s been credited for calling the plays.
For now, I’m going to be reading up here in hopes of ideas that I can think to respond later.
"The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote: 'A flute with no holes is not a flute, And a doughnut with no hole is a Danish.' He was a funny guy."
by Ugh It Live! on Mar 24, 2009 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I didn't mean
cater specifically to Luol, and only Luol, cmon man. There’s plenty of ways to use him effectively and also have Rose 100% involved. High screen rolls, back-cuts, shallow-cuts – there’s tons of ways to use not only Luol, but the entire team together, instead of iso after iso.
"The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote: 'A flute with no holes is not a flute, And a doughnut with no hole is a Danish.' He was a funny guy."
by Ugh It Live! on Mar 24, 2009 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I get what you mean, I probably took it too far,
But I’m of the mind that we should do nothing to cater to him. Actually I think he should spend the summer trying to improve the range on his shot, that is one way that he could help himself out the most, by shooting the three.
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
He really does need to add the three point shot to maximize his effectiveness
his patented mid-range jumpshot is an extremely inefficient shot and the fact that he takes it from just a step inside the three point line so often makes it all the more infuriating.
If he could just add another 2 to 3 feet to his range, he would become a much much more efficent scorer simply by way of being able to shoot threes at a decent clip. He would also spread the floor for himself more in order to free himself to dribble drive, and given Luol’s athletic limitations, he needs all the space he can get on those drives.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
one more point about this
it’s absolutely inexcusable to me that Luol hasn’t added this shot in 5 years in the league. He’s been a jump shooter for most of his career, and yet, despite that, he still can’t shoot threes super effectively.
I think Skiles did him a real disservice by telling him not to shoot them anymore, and thus deincentivizing Luol from getting longer range on his jumper.
Other players have come in with much shakier jump shots and managed to develop consistent three point shots, I see no reason why Luol shouldn’t be able to do this. It’s maddening that he hasn’t, especially because he similarly didn’t add a post game, or really improve in any aspect of his game. He’s been the same player pretty much since he came into the league, save for marginal improvements, and what has turned out so far to be an outlier year in 06-07.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 12:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yea, but I think you hit the nail on the head
Skiles essentially told him he couldn’t shoot it. Then after he had success doing it that way he kind of wrote it off, as opposed to challenging himself.
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 12:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yea,
I just wish that he had challenged himself to shoot that 3 point shot, because it would just do so much to improve his game.
This year according to the hotspots chart over at NBA.com, this year Deng is shooting 35.8% on long two point jump shots, which would put his points per shot on those attempts at a miserable .716 pps.
If you change all those shots to three pointers (admittedly a slightly non-realistic exaggeration, but still it helps make the point) and kept the same shooting percentage, his points per shot goes up to 1.075 pps. That is a huge difference, especially when you consider the average points per possession for an NBA team is right around 1.
So when he’s shooting long jumpers that are two pointers, he’s hurting his team. If he shot the same percentage from 3 pt land and eschewed that two point jumper, his efficiency would get much, much better.
That’s why I really think he needs to add the shot. Plus, there’s the ancillary benefit of floor spacing that would benefit not just Luol, but his teammates in terms of running a better, more well-spaced offense if he could just make that shot.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Agreed
all around.
"The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote: 'A flute with no holes is not a flute, And a doughnut with no hole is a Danish.' He was a funny guy."
by Ugh It Live! on Mar 24, 2009 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but
since he hasn’t added three point range to his repertoire in five years of service, it seems unlikely he’ll have added it by next season. Since the summer of 2010 is supposed to be the summer of love with all the free agents available and BMiller coming off the books, should the team consider moving him now?
by PeteRoc on Mar 24, 2009 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
but you believe in John Salmons, right?
Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!
by tyger1147 on Mar 24, 2009 1:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
plenty of guys have added the consistent three point shot later in their
careers. We have one on our team right now. His name is John Salmons. Luol Deng could do the same thing and if he busts it out as a 24 year old rather than a 29 year old journeyman like Salmons did, all the better.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 2:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
When will he do it?
After 2012? You have to spend your summers getting better. It doesn’t just come with age. Salmons worked on his game and got better. It didn’t magically happen.
Everything I post is speculation. I have no insider information nor ideas deemed concrete enough by those who are self-elected to regulate post content.
by cranscape on Mar 24, 2009 3:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's true, and that's something I'm really concerned about with
Deng continuing his playing for GB. It hurts in terms of him staying healthy for a whole year, it hurts his development, and it just stinks all the way around that he seems more worried about making things happen for GB than for the Bulls who are paying him 12 million dollars a year.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 5:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
A post up game would do FAR more for his efficiency than worrying...
…about adding 2 to 3 feet to his shooting range. His range is fine. But at 6’9" he needs to find a back to the basket game on a consistent basis and make himself a more formidable weapon.
by lexdiamonds0730 on Mar 24, 2009 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I just don't think he's got the physical makeup to be a post player.
He’s already had lots of problems with nagging injuries throughout his career, and that’s without taking the abuse that a inside player takes. Deng plays one of the more finesse games in the league, relying on movement and jumpshots to get his points, and despite that, he’s still constantly dinged up.
I think if you ask him to play down low with the bigger, stronger players, that only gets worse and probably doesn’t do a whole lot for his efficiency, because he doesn’t seem to have it in him to play down there and be effective.
We know that he prefers to shoot jump shots than post up, because look at his shot selection, he shoots a ton of them. So why not just get better at something he’s already good at and add range to the equation rather than asking him to develop a whole new skill set?
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Deng has two things working against him.
One he really doesn’t have the right body to post up. His center of mass is too high, and he doesn’t have the lower body strength.
Players either have a feel for posting up or they don’t. If you have a feel for it, it doesn’t matter how tall you are. Deng clearly doesn’t have a feel for it, and didn’t grow up in an environment where he would have practiced it as a kid. If a player doesn’t have a feel for posting up he can still be an effective player in the post, but things needed to be very simplified with a single go-to move with a single counter. And they need to be posting up close enough to the basket for the jump hook to be a threat. For some reason the Bulls have always seemed to post up Deng away from the basket on the baseline where the only option to score is a usually a fadeaway jumper, which is a terrible shot for almost everybody in the league. There’s no point to posting up if that’s going to be the shot you’re going to get.
by Scotter on Mar 24, 2009 1:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agreed with everything you just said
which is why I really want him to just add that frickin’ three point jumper already.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 2:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Scooter, I agree with you for the most part.
Players either can or can’t play the post for the most part. That’s why despite all the hype I never felt Greg Oden would be a great offensive center. He doesn’t have that “it” that guys like Shaq, Olajuwon, Duncan, etc… have when it comes to playing around the basket. But to develop a move/countermove or two is not uncommon. Sam Cassell did it as a guard. So did Chauncey Billups. But look at a guy like Tayshaun Prince. Perfect example of what I’m talking about. He isn’t a classic post player, but he’s turned himself into a formible weapon and viable option on the block when there is a mismatch. That’s what I’d like to see out of Deng.
by lexdiamonds0730 on Mar 25, 2009 9:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Scooter, I agree with you for the most part.
Players either can or can’t play the post for the most part. That’s why despite all the hype I never felt Greg Oden would be a great offensive center. He doesn’t have that “it” that guys like Shaq, Olajuwon, Duncan, etc… have when it comes to playing around the basket. But to develop a move/countermove or two is not uncommon. Sam Cassell did it as a guard. So did Chauncey Billups. But look at a guy like Tayshaun Prince. Perfect example of what I’m talking about. He isn’t a classic post player, but he’s turned himself into a formible weapon and viable option on the block when there is a mismatch. That’s what I’d like to see out of Deng.
by lexdiamonds0730 on Mar 25, 2009 9:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You guys got it all wrong.
I’m not saying go be a full time post player. What I’m saying is add a move or two to his bag of tricks. It would keep the defense off balance. Of course he doesn’t have the body to be a full time post player, but he can give EVERY small forward in the league (with the exception of LeBron James) absolute hell if he took them to the block once in a while. It would actually make the game easier for him. And suppose he gets an occassional 2 cross-matched onto him. Why not punish him the way teams attempt to punish Gordon when he gets cross-matched?
It’s a matter of odds. I like his odds shooting a 5 foot bank shot from time to time (and the occassional dunk) better than I like settling for the 19 foot jump shot the vast majority of the time.
by lexdiamonds0730 on Mar 25, 2009 8:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If I were management
I would sit him for the rest of this season and not allow him to play with GB this year.
Luol’s #1 priority seems to be the GB team.
by PricanStar on Mar 24, 2009 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think they have a
choice whether he plays or not, assuming GB picks up the insurance on his contract.
"The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote: 'A flute with no holes is not a flute, And a doughnut with no hole is a Danish.' He was a funny guy."
by Ugh It Live! on Mar 24, 2009 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
man
those 2 years seem a life time ago
The only monster here is the gambling monster that has enslaved your mother! I call him Gamblor, and it's time to snatch your mother from his neon claws!!
by Yibs on Mar 24, 2009 10:35 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Does it matter??
Does it really matter if Loul is healthy??
You guys think that he’s gonna automatically average 20 a game when healthy?
No….he’s still gonna be the same retarded Loul Deng we’ve always known.
by TheBastid on Mar 24, 2009 11:54 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
thanks for the intelligent, well-thought out analysis.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 11:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i'm not sure i know of this
“Loul” of whom you speak.
"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"
by Jaina on Mar 24, 2009 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
that's because he's in the retard league.
USE THE SOFTWARE. Actions-> Rec/Flag. Reply to comments with the reply button. Rec good fanposts/fanshots so the crud gets pushed down.
by your friendly BullsBlogger on Mar 24, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think that's Luol's evil twin we see sometimes when he rocks the goatee.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
LOL
"That's a spicy meatball-a!" - Vinny Del Negro
by Juiceboxjerry on Mar 24, 2009 12:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If the leg is going to be a season-ending injury,
I do think it would benefit the team to know this now rather than wondering the rest of the season if he’ll get back. There is something to be said for certainty.
But if he could come back healthy, it would benefit the Bulls to have him available. Which of course doesn’t mean he should rush back and try to play through pain with an injury where playing can make it worse.
Man-slave, bring me my PB&J!
by wjb1492 on Mar 24, 2009 12:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Well let's let him get healthy
let him play for GB without saying anything just so he can show he can still play, maximize his value some, and then trade him before the season starts.
"I guess I can’t do anything if you’re just irrational, but to point it out and move on."
- fundamentallysound
by J Theory on Mar 24, 2009 12:22 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
What will NBA scouts be looking at?
Does anyone know what kind of qualifying he is doing for GB this summer. I’m not sure why European qualifying for London 2012 starts the summer after Bejing. Will Luol’s GB team go up against a fully stacked Spain team or is he just practicing with this team?
I don’t like the argument that NBA scouts will fall in love with him this summer playing in scrimmages or against N. Ireland.
by Jscho316 on Mar 24, 2009 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
They did last summer
all the GMs and Scouts were drooling over his play. Then when preseason came I’m like wtf where they talking about?!!!
"I guess I can’t do anything if you’re just irrational, but to point it out and move on."
- fundamentallysound
by J Theory on Mar 24, 2009 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think he didn't play against the best European teams, like Spain, Russia, Lithuania...
Only the crappy ones, like Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Czech Republic. That’s why he looked so good. Besides, the size of the court are not the same. Don’t forget that… The 3 point line is more closed to the basket
by bull83 on Mar 24, 2009 5:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Doesn't GB
get to play in 2012 because they are the host country? I seem to remember China getting to play because they were the host country. Not because they earned it (though they did have a few good players to watch).
Everything I post is speculation. I have no insider information nor ideas deemed concrete enough by those who are self-elected to regulate post content.
by cranscape on Mar 24, 2009 1:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
They don't have to earn it the normal way, but FIBA
says they won’t let GB participate if they’re not playing in the highest division of European ball. The last couple of summer have been about GB working its way into the 1st division in time for 2012.
by Scotter on Mar 24, 2009 1:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why do I have the feeling
that Luol will “tough it out” playing for GB this summer. The heavy involvement in the international ball during the summers is what is ruining our 72 million dollar man. Deng is what he is, but he would be a hell of a lot better if he spent his summers in the gym (like most professional athletes).
Maybe he would have some post moves, a 3 point shot, e able to play an entire season, any kind of improvement. The drop in performance and the lack of development all started when he got more involved with the international play.
Why can’t he just play in the Olympics once every four years like most everyone else from abroad in the NBA does.
"I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying." -- Michael Jordan
by bennythebull on Mar 24, 2009 12:26 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Deng is "Ben Wallace Redux"
man up!
by exult463 on Mar 24, 2009 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Deng doesn't play in all these summer
GB doesn’t make the Olympics.
by Scotter on Mar 24, 2009 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
if ben plays, i'd think they still have a good shot
"They should. They better. I'm Vinny Del Negro!"
by Jaina on Mar 24, 2009 1:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It is nice we let Luol rest
during the NBA season to be ready for GB. :( Maybe they should have signed him to a contract instead.
Everything I post is speculation. I have no insider information nor ideas deemed concrete enough by those who are self-elected to regulate post content.
by cranscape on Mar 24, 2009 1:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well London is hosting the 2012 games
There is probably a fair amount of external pressure on him (and probably Gordon) to get the team into the Olympics.
Confusion breeds success. If they don't know each other, opponents can't have strategy. GENIUS.
by Ozzie Montana on Mar 24, 2009 9:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
it's ok...
…looks like he’s busy with other things anyway…
http://awsomepeoplesearch.com/
by NormVanBeer on Mar 24, 2009 5:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
she's gotta be the most busted model ever.
Vinny discovers frontcourt by accident. Someone re-smash Gooden’s groin!
- your friendly BullsBlogger
by fundamentallysound on Mar 24, 2009 5:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
They look like brother and sister
which makes sense seeing as they’re both Dinkas. But cmon Lu she’s 31! Does he need her to rent a car for him? You should be able to get much younger (18+ naturally) and hotter than that…
"The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote: 'A flute with no holes is not a flute, And a doughnut with no hole is a Danish.' He was a funny guy."
by Ugh It Live! on Mar 24, 2009 5:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
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