Season Review Part II: Luol Deng

by Scotter on May 28, 2007 12:43 PM CDT

Luol Deng has been the team's best player for two consecutive seasons now. He led the team in PER at 18.79, which placed him 7th among starting SFs. His PER jumped 3 points from 15.86 the previous year. He also led the team in PW% at .836, raising it from .621, and Player Wins at 10.9. The only SF to post a better PW% was Shawn Marion. Marion and LeBron James were the only SFs to post more Player Wins at small forward. Like Hinrich, Deng is solidly in the top ten at his position. Even higher if defense is included as a greater part of the rating. Like Gordon and Hinrich most of the improvement came from improved shooting with career highs in FG% and FT%. His improved FG% came from two areas. His jumpshot FG% went from 38% to 42%. And he doubled the amount of dunks he was getting from 4% of his shots to 8%, finishing with 90 for the year.

The big question with Deng is with his ceiling. Will he be a really good player or will he be a great player? He's likely going to be just really good. His rebounding numbers have been steady all three seasons. He's not going to start getting 8 FTA/G. He's not going to become a volume shooter. So he would have to be incredibly efficent. So could Deng sustain the 54% FG shooting of the first two months over a full season? Maybe because "the best mid-range shooter in the NBA" still has a lot holes in mid-range game. Check out his hot zones. He shot under 40% from everywhere on the left side of the court. Alot also depends on how much time Deng spends in the post next season, and how effective he is there. He will likely eventually raise his FT shooting above 80%. His passing has been improving and it could improve more. The one play that gives me hope that Deng could be great was a play from the Miami series late in a game. He dribbled left across the FT line, pulled up, and knocked down the jumper from the FT line. The replays show him rising above the defenders to get the shot off. He created space and had the confidence to just go up and shoot over defenders. If he's willing to do more of that or more of this then he can be great.

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Comments

Now Thats a Good Review

Damn, it makes me wish you would redo the hinrich one to make it more like this...maybe you should have saved hinrich for last on your reviews....good stuff anyway.

im trying hard to become the next kirk hinrich, therefore im doing nothing more than being the next chris duhon.

by piccolomair on May 28, 2007 2:23 PM CDT reply actions

What was better about this review?

I used most of the same sets of data. I thought they were fairly similar.

by Scotter on May 28, 2007 11:22 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't see much difference, either

both are well done.

Don't Lose. Ever.!

by bullshooter on May 29, 2007 8:52 AM CDT up reply actions

a little too hopeful

FT shooting and passing are 2 things Deng is average to awful at. His FT% has steadily improved over 3 seasons, but his AST-r and TO-r are all over the place. I'd like to hope he improves in both areas, but how much can a player improve his FT%? And there isn't much of a positive trend in his passing numbers.

I wouldn't single out any player on the roster as the best player. Hinrich and Wallace play much better defense than Deng (who still has a very thin ass dent on his uniform) and Gordon.

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on May 28, 2007 2:27 PM CDT reply actions

Assist to turnover ratio

thats cause similar to nocioni hes ussually the last player to touch the ball in a posession. He's also most likely the one finishing on fast breaks. His free throw shooting is 78 percent. Thats pretty good. Espescially for a guy who is 6 10 (I know he is listed at 6 9 but i think he is 6 10). Lebron, now he's a really bad free throw shooter, Deng is average to good.

I would say deng needs to improve on his dribbling the most and bulk up so he can take it to the hole more and not let Tayshaun prince back him down in the post (that was really pathetic). I remember last year writing a post that Deng never dunks for some reason and I am very happy that he has been throwing it down often...maybe its the tyrus thomas effect.

I am biased though since Deng is my favorite player on the bulls and once he gets an extension, I will probably buy my first bulls jersey since scottie pippen back in 95.

by Sambossanova on May 28, 2007 3:04 PM CDT up reply actions

I like

Luol too. He improved so much this season so I'm excited to see how he does next season.

Who will come and who will go? Stay tuned!

by sue369 on May 28, 2007 3:10 PM CDT up reply actions

I qualified the whole paragraph with my

the belief that he'll likely be just very good. I agree that there isn't a lot of hope based on Assist, TO, or rebounding rates. Improving in passing would be eventually averaging 4 asssts/g. I'm not expecting him to pass like LeBron.

While last season is more debatable, there is alot of evidence that Deng has been the team's best player. He was the team's best player according to Hollinger's PER, Oliver's PW%, and his Roland's rating system. Three different measuring systems agreeing is pretty consistent evidence that Deng is the team's best player.

by Scotter on May 28, 2007 10:39 PM CDT up reply actions

best player

I guess it's just tough for me to say that. Deng's numbers are better than Gordon or Hinrich, but he doesn't create his own shot or defend nearly as well as other players on the roster. I agree with you, but he doesn't fit my definition of 'superstar'. ;)

Best player it is.

by Paxson Jackson @ Blog a Bull on May 29, 2007 8:14 AM CDT up reply actions

I'd love to see him develop a 3-point shot

As good as he is from 20 feet, statistically that's worst shot in the game. It's asking a lot for someone who's mainly a midrange shooter to shoot 52% from the field every year, as he did this year. Hitting some threes would be a good way to compensate if his FG% goes down next year.

by Big D on May 28, 2007 3:48 PM CDT reply actions

I think he has a 3 point shot

I believe he used it quite alot last year. However this year he stopped and im all for it. Cuz instead he takes a shot well within his range. The only thing i have about deng is his dribbling skills and his inability to hit free throws, hes not that bad though.

im trying hard to become the next kirk hinrich, therefore im doing nothing more than being the next chris duhon.

by piccolomair on May 28, 2007 4:39 PM CDT up reply actions

Upper body Strength

Wow interesting. Hot zones imply cold zones!

I would like to see Loul work on his low post inside game rather than moving out his shot further out in the perimeter. Also considering the needs of the team: we need more inside presence! not more 3 point shooting.

by chicago-homesick-blues on May 28, 2007 4:52 PM CDT reply actions