Luol Deng Won't Replace LeBron James, but He's a Critical Piece for Miami Heat
Back in June, Miami Heat president Pat Riley told reporters the addition of Luol Deng was "one of the most important free-agent signings that we have ever had in the history of the franchise."
But for Heat fans who'd been spoiled by two championships and the promise of more, Deng was little more than a two-year, $20 million consolation prize (wherein the second year is at the player's option). He was the guy Riley brought in to be the new small forward.
Not the new LeBron James.
Deng has twice been named an All-Star, and he's earned a reputation as one of the league's most skilled all-around weapons on the wing. He defends, shoots, cuts and rebounds. Given the options available on the 2014 free-agent market, the 29-year-old was a nice find.
He'll make the most of Dwyane Wade's remaining prime without threatening Miami's long-term financial flexibility. He'll ensure head coach Erik Spoelstra's team remains competitive in a relatively weak Eastern Conference, perhaps its third- or fourth-best team if one assumes the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls will claim the first two seeds in some order.
He'll even win fans over with good-guy charm and an admirable work ethic.
He just won't replace LeBron.
That was never part of the new contract.
Through his first four games in a Miami uniform, however, Deng has been a double-figure scorer already playing over 30 minutes per game in the rotation.
Early signs are encouraging. Deng isn't just good; he's a good fit. The team still belongs to Wade and big man Chris Bosh in most meaningful respects. But Deng is the kind of complementary asset who can succeed within Spoelstra's system, taking advantage of the touches coming his way through the natural flow and movement of the offense.
"We like for him to be aggressive and feel involved," Spoelstra told reporters, including the Sun Sentinel's Shandel Richardson, after Miami's third win of the young season. "A large part of that is ball movement and getting him in certain situations and recognizing him on cuts and when he's moving in the paint. We do have to get him involved occasionally with specific actions but he's a player who really thrives on that type of ball movement."
And to hear Deng explain it, he'll thrive even more in the Heat's schemes once he's had some additional time to get acclimated with his new environs.
"I think that I am ahead [of schedule] but it’s only been three games," he told media this week, per Richardson. "I really think that it will get better as the season goes on. I'm just starting to play the game and not think too much...You're at your best when you're just reacting."
As the 10-year veteran becomes more familiar with the Heat's game plan, we'll get a better feel for his ceiling with the club.
By now, Deng is something of a known commodity.
Since he was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in 2004, he's averaged 16 points and 6.3 rebounds in an impressive 35.8 minutes per contest. Though he's made a respectable 45.8 percent of his career field-goal attempts, the long-range shooting has been a mixed bag—and particularly questionable as of the 2012-13 season, when it dropped to 32.2 percent and kept going south in the two years that followed.
Improvement on the perimeter would add to Deng's versatility and make him an even more reliable second- or third-scoring option.
"My three is definitely a lot better," Deng said toward the end of October, according to Jason Lieser of Heat Zone. "It's one part of my game I really want to focus on and bring back. It opens the floor so much and it fits this system so well. So I'm staying behind after practice and coming in at night just because I really want to focus on opening the floor."
Deng made a career-high 40 percent of the three-pointers he attempted through 49 games in 2008-09. That mark fell to a still-solid 38.6 percent a year later.
So there's certainly some reason to believe he could be in store for a return to form.
"My whole thing is I want to be consistent with it," he added. "It's been up and down, but I believe I'm a better shooter than [the 30.2 percent he averaged last season]. The main thing is to wash out everything I've done in the past. This is a new year and I'm just trying to be the best I can."
Four games into that new year, he's made two of his eight attempts. There remains plenty of time for him to warm up and make good on his intent to become a perimeter threat.
Patience may be in order on the offensive end, but Deng's length and energy are making an instant impact on the defensive end.
Deng's skill and intelligence make him a borderline stopper at his best. He may still be adjusting to Spoelstra's approach, but there's every reason to be optimistic about Miami's defensive pedigree come the playoffs.
"[Miami's defense is] built a lot on trust, just trust in each other and knowing that you do one thing, the other person has your back," Deng told the media in October, per Ava Wallace of the Miami Herald. "That's all teams, but it's a little bit different.
"Being in Chicago so long, we kind of stayed in our corners and pushed the ball to our bigs, but this one is perimeter guys have to really be on a string together. As the ball moves, you might have a different guy, you just have know where you're ending up and where you're going to be."
Learning curves are natural, but Deng has developed winning habits over the years. Chicago's defensive schemes may have been different, but Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau is as good as it gets when it comes to teaching sound defensive principles. His teams regularly rank among the league's best in defensive efficiency.
Miami's system may be a bit different, but Deng was optimistic about his progress during the preseason.
"I think defensively, I'm getting there, getting the rotation," he told Richardson in October. "Every game, I'm getting better at it. I think now it's just consistency in terms of when to be aggressive, when to conserve more energy on defense. It's just putting it together."
Indeed, Deng's transition should be a relatively smooth one. His old Bulls and this Miami team aren't so different—both proven winners, both traditions of doing things the right way.
"I'm really looking forward to this new chapter with a special organization," Deng wrote on Instagram upon signing with the Heat in June. "I'm excited to have an opportunity to play here and contribute to the culture of success."
It's a culture Deng knows something about.
There's no use in comparing him to LeBron. From Miami's perspective, the only question that matters is whether he's enough for this team to win a title.
Just four games into the season, that remains to be seen. We'll have to settle for a "so far, so good" early review and hope that three-point rhythm comes along. This could be a big season for Deng and—in turn—for the Heat.
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