NBA: Chicago Bulls' Luol Deng Finally Living Up to Great Expectations

It took him long enough, but Luol Deng is finally giving the Bulls what they’re paying for.

Remember over the summer when Chicago wanted so badly to unload his hefty contract and make space for marquee free agents like LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade?

Last time I checked, Derrick Rose schooled James to spark a second-half comeback, Carlos Boozer won an award for best supporting actor after exposing Bosh for the flopper he really is, Luol Deng drained a clutch three-pointer with Wade charging after him and the Bulls showed they could beat the Miami Heat even with LeBron.

Deng has been key in keeping the Bulls alive through an injury-ridden season.

Without Deng, the Bulls wouldn’t have had the same spark that brought them back from an 11-point deficit in Thursday’s big win.

Without Deng, Rose would’ve had to find another way to win. The two teammates complement each other very well.

They combined for 22 points in the third quarter to pump life back into the Bulls. Deng has been playing the shooter that Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer are supposed to be, and Deng’s three-pointer with 16 seconds left perfectly represented how: He takes pressure off of Rose.

The Heat thought they knew Rose was going to take the last shot and possibly drive it in. Wade knew he had to help clog the lane, and forgot about Deng. Just in time, Rose dished the ball out to Deng, who told NBA nation, “Look what I can do.”

Except, Deng doesn’t celebrate.

Instead of watching the reaction inside the United Center, he watched the ball hit the floor, acting like he didn’t know that he just hit the tie-breaking shot.

That’s just his personality. He’s a low-key guy and doesn’t display emotion that might draw attention to him. He just does his job silently, which is one of the reasons he’s overlooked.

Friday’s front-page sports edition of the Chicago Tribune left Deng out of the picture of the Bulls' "Big Three" (That’s okay. The photo makes Rose look tougher being sandwiched between Noah and Boozer).

With the stardom of Rose this season, Deng’s name has been buried.

He's been the subject of trade and injury talk. Plainly put, he's been labeled as a waste of money, an overpaid lump weighing down the Bulls roster.

This season, he’s doing all the little things right, and arguably deserves every apology from those who have been putting his name on the shopping list (I know I’m guilty of that).

In the midst of being on the trading block for Carmelo Anthony, Deng still produced, unlike Ben Gordon when Kobe Bryant wanted to be dealt in 2007.

For some reason, Deng is finally coming through this season, and his timing is perfect, as the Bulls are slowing moving up the pecking order of Eastern Conference contenders.

He’s scoring almost 20 points a game, playing solid defense and logging 40 minutes a night. He’s the Bulls most versatile player, and it’s hard to imagine where Chicago would be without him this season had they traded him over the summer.  

Maybe it’s just Tom Thibodeau’s system that seems to be clicking for Deng. He's cutting more, increasing his intensity on the defensive end and widening his shot range.

After struggling with injuries and finding his swag in Vinny Del Negro’s offense, Deng seems to have found his niche under Thibs.

Maybe it’s just Rose who makes him a better player.

Whatever it is, Deng has toughened up. He's got about $50 million left on his contract that runs through 2013-14. It took him about three years to live up to his promise, but we’ve now seen what he does when he’s fully healthy.

Plays the best basketball of his career.