Bulls’ Offense Sparks With The Return of Deng
Luol Deng made his second start for the Chicago Bulls against the New Jersey Nets since being sidelined for two weeks with a wrist injury that occurred in a game versus the Charlotte Bobcats.
During his return to the starting five, the Bulls have opened up their last two games in fine offensive fashion scoring 67 in the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks and 62 points in the first half against the Nets.
While Deng was sidelined, the Bulls where desperately looking for another playmaker to take some of the scoring load off of the reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose. But is Deng that play making player?
One might argue that there is a direct correlation between the Bulls high offensive numbers and the return of Deng, and that would not be a bad argument. Also, after the loss the Bulls suffered to the Miami Heat on Jan. 29, many fans felt that had Deng been healthy, the Bulls would have had enough offense to put away the Heat. I am not about to disagree with these last two statements, but I do want to raise the caution flag and ponder a few curiosities.
First, considering that Deng remains healthy for the remainder of the season, can he continue to ignite the Bulls’ offense on a nightly basis?
For the most part of his career, Deng has been recognized as a player who can put up 15-20 points and space the floor a little for Rose. Never was he considered a player who can constantly create his own shot or a big-time playmaker that can make plays similar to those of Rose. And with all due respect, it is not too impressive to have great offensive nights against the Nets or Bucks, especially when you consider that Rose seems to really bring his best game against other well-known NBA point guards aka Brandon Jennings and Deron Williams, which helps open up the floor for every teammate he has on the court with him.
Second, do the Bulls really ‘Beat the Heat’ if they have a healthy Deng?
To begin, I do not want to leave out that C.J. Watson was also not fit to play in the game versus the heat and the people that argued the Bulls would have beat the Heat with a healthy Deng included a healthy Watson in that argument as well. But let’s be fair, Deng is going to be a much bigger part of beating the heat than Watson so we’ll keep our radar locked in on Deng. If the question relates to beating the Heat on Jan. 29, then yes, I do agree that with a healthy Deng the Bulls would have defeated the Heat. However, that is still just speculation. But sports require a lot of speculating. If the question meant, can we defeat Miami in a playoff series, then I would still reply yes, but we would need a completely healthy staff which hasn’t really been the case for most of this year. But, once again, that’s just simple speculation.
What Bulls fans do know for sure is that the entire offense has been heating up and they must continue to remain in good form with Rose suffering back spasm as off late to go along with his already injured toe. If he is forced to sit, then that decision will be determined shortly. Regardless, Rose will need as much help as he can get moving forward. To begin, let’s see if the Bulls can stick to their winning ways tonight against the New Orleans Hornets.
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