If Luol Deng needs any motivation this offseason, it could come from a most unexpected source, namely the deciding Game 6 in the Golden State Warriors’ championship season.
This is not just because a title has eluded Deng throughout his 11-year career in the NBA but because his best chance at finally getting the ring the All-Star veteran has long sought could be in following the example set by Andre Iguodala this past season.
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Deng’s status with the Miami Heat is tenuous, made more complicated by his exercising the player option on his current deal. He provides quality defense (generally) and capable offense (occasionally) as well as a locker room presence that is neither a distraction nor a true leader.
He provides a quality set of skills, yet he was disappointed in how he was used by the Heat during his first season with the team, as he told the Miami Herald in April:
“I don’t really like to just stand still. It’s not my strength. I could shoot a high percentage but I’m not per se a shooter. I slash, I cut. I’m better in motion than standing still. When I played [for] Scott Skiles [in Chicago], he didn’t want me shooting any threes. He wanted me close to the rim. My whole focus was the mid-range … . This year, [Erik Spoelstra] wanted me to take the corner threes more than I’ve done in the past… . Not having someone like Josh [McRoberts] definitely hurts my game.”
He’s also looking to parlay his second year with Miami into a future contract, even as he collects the $10.1 million that is likely more than he would have received elsewhere if he had elected to become a free agent.
Which brings us to Iguodala, the Warriors’ sixth man that distinguished himself as the most valuable player in the NBA Finals.
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The story is well-known by now: newly hired as Golden State’s head coach, Steve Kerr asked Iguodala to come off the bench, a role that “Iggy” — an Olympian and All-Star that entered the league at the same time as Deng — had never had before.
The Warriors went on to be historically great and win a title, in no small part to Iguodala’s contributions as a reserve.
There lies the template that could lead to success for both Deng and the Heat, one made possible with the Heat’s draft night addition of Justise Winslow. It’s possible (and rather probable) that head coach Erik Spoelstra will bring Winslow off the bench. But if he plays as well as expected, it’s feasible that the rookie could start.
Miami’s lineup, as projected, is rather star-studded, with Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside slated to start alongside current free agents Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade. While there’s no guarantee that Dragic and Wade will re-sign with the Heat, if they do, Miami will have four players that will reduce Deng to the fifth-best scoring option.
Not the kind of resumè-builder that Deng could use going into free agency next summer.
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But should Spoelstra follow Kerr’s lead and if Deng, by extension, follows Iguodala’s, then he instantly becomes the team best option as a reserve. In 72 games as a starter, Deng’s per game averages (in 33.6 minutes) were 14 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists; Iguodala played in 77 contests but averaged just 7.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and three assists in 26.9 minutes per game.
The numbers don’t tell the whole story here — Miami was ravaged by injuries and both Bosh and Wade missed games, thereby inflating Deng’s numbers. Conversely, the Warriors’ great depth and production from their starters reduced Iguodala’s statistical contribution.
Deng would replace Winslow on the floor along with Wade, who often was the first to be substituted out. He’d share the floor along with Bosh, Dragic and Mario Chalmers, allowing Deng to “slash” and “cut” as he prefers to do, leaving the others to score from along the perimeter.
As the Warriors have shown, versatility and flexibility are desirable traits in today’s NBA. “Position-less basketball” (like the kind that led to two titles for Miami) highlights 7-footers that can shoot from distance and tweeners that can defend players of varying sizes. Sometimes, it requires taking an unforeseen risk.
For Deng and the Heat, the gamble is minimized in that Iguodala and the Warriors have already proven that it can work and lead to championship success.
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