Luol Deng: One-And-Done With Miami Heat?

Perhaps no player has been more symbolic of the Miami Heat’s up-and-down season than Luol Deng.

More from Miami Heat

Signed last summer to a two-year deal when the Heat were reeling from the departure of LeBron James, his acquisition was hailed by team president Pat Riley as “one of the most important free agent signings” in team history.

While that was certainly an exaggeration, it did show that Miami had high hopes for Deng, looking to his history as a staunch defender and capable shooter to help replace some of the skills lost when James left.

Fast-forward to the end of a miserable season racked by injury, and Deng has lately been criticized by fans for his inconsistency while acknowledging that the season hasn’t gone as well as he’d anticipated. Moreover, the 30-year-old — who has a player option for the last year of his deal with Miami — may consider taking his talents away from South Beach.

The injuries play a factor in Deng’s decision, to be sure. In an end-of-season interview with the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, the forward admitted that Miami didn’t utilize him properly, forcing him to be more of a spot-up shooter:

"“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.”"

There’s some truth to what Deng says, despite his reasonable 35.5 percent overall shooting from 3-point range this past season. His season high in scoring, a 30-point outing against the Dallas Mavericks that I’ve previously recalled as the best game of the season, includes a lot of that slashing and cutting that Deng referred to.

As far as the eye test goes, Deng certainly looks more effective when he’s moving without the ball, freeing himself from defenders, making back cuts and using his athleticism to its fullest.

Here are the highlights from that win over the Mavericks:

But here’s the thing: despite Deng’s belief to the contrary, over the course of the season he was much more effective when his 3-point shot was falling.

In 72 games that Deng played in (the second-most among all Heat players during this injury-ravaged year), he scored at least his points per game average (14 PPG) in 35 games. In those games there were only 14 in which he shot worse than 40 percent from 3-point range.

In the 37 games in which Deng failed to reach the 14 PPG benchmark, he only shot better than 40 percent in just eight games.

Bottom line: Deng is most effective when he’s shooting the ball well and making his cuts.

Moreover, those “corner threes” that Deng was shooting at the behest of Erik Spoelstra? His most effective shot from the perimeter by far, as evidenced by this shot chart (courtesy of NBA.com):

Deng shot chart /

The concern with Deng’s impact, at least as many fans see it, is that he was very inconsistent throughout the season. In broad generalizations, he’d give you a 25-point outing on one night and then score just seven the next time he played. Again, this certainly seemed to be the case but it goes a bit further than that.

The reality is that Deng had a huge impact on wins and losses. Deng played in 33 of Miami’s 37 wins this season. During those games, he scored 16.4 PPG and shot 52.6 percent from the field overall and 40.2 percent from 3-point range.

In the 39 Heat losses in which Deng played, his numbers alarmingly drop: just 12 PPG, 41.4 percent shooting and 30.6 percent shooting from the perimeter.

Compare those to Dwyane Wade‘s numbers this season and you see why Deng has drawn some ire in Miami. In 28 wins Wade played in, his numbers were 22.2 PPG, 47 percent FG% and 26.3 percent from 3-point range.

In the 34 losses Wade was a part of, his numbers are virtually identical: 20.9 PPG, 46.9 percent on all field-goal attempts and 29.7 percent from 3-point range (which is actually an improvement).

It would appear that Deng’s issues with Miami weren’t that he was being misused as a 3-point shooter (just the opposite, as it played to his strengths and made him a more effective scorer), but rather that he might not want to limit himself to just being a stand-still shooter.

He hasn’t bought in to the role Miami has cast him in and, in those losses in which Deng’s lack of production cost the team, the price might have been a playoff berth.

Despite Deng’s issues this season, he’s on the books for another $10.2 million next season — should he opt in. There’s some sentiment that Deng may seek what could be one last multi-year contract, perhaps somewhere in the range of four to five years and $20 million to $25 million. That deal won’t come from Miami.

In either case, it would seem that Miami holds the advantage. Should Deng remain with the team, they’ll keep his veteran leadership and solid perimeter defense. If he decides to seek a longer-term deal elsewhere, his spot in the starting lineup could be filled by James Ennis, who seemed to come on strong toward the end of the season.

Miami will have need of the money that Deng’s departure may suddenly lead to, with the goal of re-signing Goran Dragic this summer — and Hassan Whiteside the next — looming large on the horizon.

One of the important signings in Miami Heat history may have just been a one-year rental and to many of the team’s fans, that would be just fine.

Next: Top 30 NBA Shooting Guards of All-Time

More from Hoops Habit

Home/Miami Heat