Last July, the Miami Heat were reeling from LeBron James' surprising choice to rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers, but managed to quickly group with the re-signing of Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.
They would sign Cleveland's former starting small forward Luol Deng four days after James' departure in a move that Heat president Pat Riley hailed as "one of the most important free-agent signings that we have ever had in the history of the franchise."
Hyperbole aside, the Heat were signing a former two-time All-Star and All-NBA defender that played a large role for the Chicago Bulls for the past decade. Deng had helped carry the franchise when Derrick Rose was injured and he was averaging career-highs of 19.0 points and 3.7 assists for the Bulls before he was traded mid-season to the Cavaliers.
On paper, his versatility appeared to be a perfect fit alongside a fellow slasher like Wade and with a willing passer in Bosh. Deng would also stretch the offense with his corner 3-point shot and provide his trademark defense.
As the season progressed, however, Deng would alternate good performances with others in which he disappeared on offense for long stretches of time. When he was on point and a scoring threat, the Heat were a dangerous team as evidenced by their 11-1 record when Deng scored 20 or more points. But his season averages of 14.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists were all below his career averages and all those heavy minutes with the Bulls appeared to take a toll on his athleticism. Unlike his teammates, however, he did manage to stay relatively healthy for the season and started in all 72 games he appeared in.
As a third scoring option, Deng could take advantage of the attention opponents paid to Wade and Bosh but his role continued to morph with mounting injuries to mixed results. Much of that changed with the acquisition of point guard Goran Dragic in February, with Deng able to assume a more steady role on the offense. In addition to extra shooting opportunities out on the perimeter, Deng could now take advantage of Dragic excellent playmaking skills for easy buckets.
Even with that, Deng's inconsistency still persisted and after a strong showing in February where he averaged 15.7 points, his scoring dropped to 12.4 points per game while pushing through minor injuries through the remainder of the season.
WHAT HE DID RIGHT
Playing alongside bigger threats on offense, Deng took advantage of the extra spacing and his shooting accuracy rebounded after several declining seasons. His 46.9 percent field goal shooting was his highest since the 2007-08 season and his 35.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc was also a big improvement over past seasons.
His tall, wiry frame coupled with his huge wing span makes him an elite one-on-one defender who manages to hardly ever get in foul trouble despite his aggressiveness. Often times, he was tasked with defending the opposition's best offensive player.
WHERE HE NEEDS TO IMPROVE
Deng's constant movement off the ball at times replicated Wade's efforts instead of augmenting each other and other games he was too stagnant as a spot-up shooter. Too often, breakdowns on offense meant he would have to go outside his comfort area and create his own shot or attempt a dribble-drive penetration near the end of the shot clock. His handle on the ball at times was shaky -- particularly in the paint -- which resulted in getting stripped in traffic.
He had too many games where was a non-factor on offense and the Heat suffered because of it, going just 4-14 when he scored less then 10 points.
BEST GAME
Deng's Christmas present to Heat fans was his most complete game of the season with 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the Heat's 101-91 win over the Cavaliers, his former team. It was Deng's first career game with those totals. As if that wasn't enough, his smothering defense helped contain James to the delight of the home crowd at the AmericanAirlines Arena.
"He was the player of this game," said Wade afterwards. "Every minute that you are on the floor and to guard LeBron James is no easy task, but then to shoot 11-of-16, score 25 points, get eight rebounds and eight assists is an unbelievable game. We appreciate what he brought today. That was a tough one on him."
ADVANCED STATS
15.5 player efficiency rating (based on 15.0 league average), 56.1 true shooting percentage (accounting for free throws and 3-pointers), 17.9 usage rate (possessions used per 40 minutes).
LOOKING AHEAD
Deng holds a $10-million player option for next season which will significantly affect the Heat's offseason plans coupled with Dragic's impending free-agent status.
"I would say from an objective point of view, they're not difficult guys to work with," head coach Erik Spoelstra said of both players after their exit interviews. "They're absolute pros and the kind of guys you want to build your team around, the kind of guys you want to go to work with, the kind of guys you want to be in a fox hole with in the next two months -- what that feels like. You want to have guys like that. You have to have reliable professionals and both of those guys' resumes and careers scream that."
Should he remain with the Heat, Spoelstra will be able to maximize his skills as a cutter playing alongside Wade, Bosh, Josh McRoberts and Dragic (provided he stays as well). With less direct pressure to produce points, Deng may actually produce more consistent numbers thanks to his off-the-ball skills.
You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.
