Miami Heat: Luol Deng Still Finding His Way
By David Ramil
It might have been an exaggeration when Pat Riley stated that “signing Luol Deng is one of the most important free agent signings that we have ever had in the history of the franchise.”
The statement was issued on July 15, shortly after agreeing to terms with Deng.
It was also four days after the announced departure of LeBron James so cut Riley some slack if he was simply happy to have retooled after losing the best player in basketball.
But through six games this season, Luol Deng is still struggling to fit in, as he recently told The Miami Herald. Deng admitted that the adjustment process is still “getting there.”
"“It’s been up and down. We have to try to find a consistency, try to get back to what we did well the first three games (all Heat victories before dropping two consecutive games). And then we’ve got to really try to find out who we are, and kind of stick with it.”"
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To his credit, he seemed to bounce back very well on Saturday night, a 102-92 Heat victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Deng posted an impressive stat line of 14 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. His season totals aren’t bad, either; he’s averaging 13 points a game while shooting 49 percent overall.
But Deng and his teammates know there’s room for growth and consistency where performances like Saturday’s will be the norm and not the exception. All-Star teammate Dwayne Wade explained it further:
"“We do want him to be that third guy, but we also have to understand we’ve all got to help him be that third guy. I think there’s been moments where he’s probably felt comfortable and moments where he hasn’t. It’s going to take awhile for us to continue to get used to Lu and Lu to get used to us.”"
The efforts been there. Guards Norris Cole, Mario Chalmers and Shabazz Napier have all noted Deng’s exceptional cuts to the rim and have been feeding him the ball regularly. But, as Wade mentioned, Deng seems slightly out-of-rhythm and has bobbled the pass more often than not.
The work with Deng is an example of Miami’s overall focus, passing the ball frequently and fluidly. Said head coach Erik Spoelstra:
"“We’ve been getting away from that the last two games. Our assist numbers are down, but also how we wanted to play offensively was a little bit more stagnant than it was in the first three games."
In the victory over the Wolves, the Heat assisted on 26 of their 41 made field goals. While not proof that things are fixed, certainly it was a return to what works best for this team in transition. And Deng’s continued familiarity will be a big part of any future success moving forward.
Deng’s numbers in Miami’s two losses tell the full story; 11 points in a 17-point drubbing to Houston and just nine points in a surprising loss to the Hornets. Chris Bosh, the team’s statistical and vocal leader this season, said Deng’s scoring needs to be “in the mid-to-high teens as far as his average is concerned.”
"“After awhile, after we build a rhythm guys are going to know where their shots are going to come from and that’s going to help us out a lot. We just need to keep [Deng] in mind to really get him in a rhythm every game, get him going. That’s an extra option we can really utilize because Lu can be dangerous down the stretch of games.”"
The philosophy was in action on Saturday, when Deng hit on 6-0f-9 shots, including 2-0f-2 from beyond the arc. This season is one of lowered expectations for the Heat, at least externally. But with Deng’s continued development, perhaps Miami will reach their ceiling much more quickly than anticipated.