Luol Deng injury: "I’m at a point of my career I want to play in every game"

Luol Deng dutifully answered questions about his wrist on Media Day Monday, after it was self-evident he would begin the season without having the surgery that was suggested when he injured that wrist in the middle of last season.

After the hyperbolic suggestion that he'd play "with no arms" (he'd probably still be an average defender...), Deng gave a more pragmatic statement:

"It's a lot different (now). If it was the same as last year I would have gone ahead and done the surgery. It just kept improving. During the Olympics it was a lot better than it was at the end of the (season). I can do a lot more things than I was able to do."
...
"If I wake up tomorrow and I need the wrist surgery I'll let you guys know," Deng joked. "I didn't want to have surgery and miss a lot of games. I'm at a point of my career I want to play in every game. I had a hard time to make that decision to have the surgery and miss that time."

Luol did look at times like a very limited player in the second half of last season, making his offensive game more outside-exclusive. And though he says he feels better, he didn't exactly tear it up in the Olympics.

Lu also said these questions are already "annoying" to him (via BBTH) , so here's hoping that we don't see any affect and therefore a need to keep asking about it.

Luol Deng injury: Deng's indicated no surgery until Summer 2013, if ever

Luol Deng put off surgery after injuring his wrist during the 2012 season until after playing the Olympics. He still hasn't gotten it done and all indications are he won't for a while.