As a long time Bulls fan, like everyone, I have trying to understand the enigma that is Luol Deng. Is he not very good? Is he just overpaid? Maybe his crooked smile hides a tortured soul? Well, maybe not...
In a lot of ways, Luol Deng is the archetype of "well, just not quite there." If you're looking for examples, check out Shia LaBeouf. He's paid like a Brad Pitt type, but he's just not that good. He's okay. He showed some comedic promise on Even Stevens and has since had flashes, but ultimately, he's not what Hollywood wants him to be. It's still too early to write him off, we think, but really, he's pretty much just an average actor.
This brings me back to Luol Deng. Similar career arc. Back in the day, Lu was "raw" and 2nd only to LeBron for professional prospects. He had a decent season at Duke and the Bulls picked him in the first round. Throughout his first several seasons we saw terrible three point shooting, mediocre rebounding, and decent slashing. He wasn't much to think about.
Then this preseason, I thought I saw someone knew. Lu was knocking down three's, keeping his dribbling to a minimum (which is good for my heart attack count), and playing intense defense.
Now, a month into the season, we have experienced the best of Luol (40 point game), some AWFUL disappearing acts, and terribly unclutch play. He's clanked some crucial layups off THE BACKBOARD! What the hell? He's better than that.
But not much. Pending Boozer's return (maybe he is the number two we need), the Bulls probably won't win a title until Luol is the fourth best player on this team. Rose might need another a scorer, but the way he's scored at ease this season, I'll assume he doesn't. That leaves Joakim Noah as one hell of a third best player on a great team, and hopefully, Boozer can be that number two. Much like I gave up on Shia after the 1st Transformers movie, it's time to throw in the towel on Lu.
Don't get me wrong, I love Deng. Great defender, gritty, long. Awesome mid-range shot.
He's just not the guy. (If Ben Gordon were 6'4 oh boy would he be the guy)
For now, Deng must be our fourth best player, and thrive in that role, bringing his energy and defense to the table. Or, in my ideal scenario, we would use him to pry OJ Mayo from the Grizzlies, who seem to be a little disgruntled with his poor shooting. I love OJ as the third or fourth best player on a great team, and the Bulls are the perfect fit.
As for Deng, I still love him, goofy smile and all, but cannot say I'd rather have him on this team than BG... Only time will tell.
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