National Basketball Association

Deng trying to find comfort zone in Heat offense

Published Jan. 14, 2015 1:30 p.m. ET

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Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh get most of the headlines. Chris Andersen, James Ennis and most recently -- Hassan Whiteside -- have become fan favorites at AmericanAirlines Arena.

But perhaps the most important player that holds the key to this season for the Miami Heat is Luol Deng.

Unassuming, humble, but one of the hardest-working players on the team, the versatile forward's impact is two-fold with his skills on both offense and defense.

When head coach Erik Spoelstra was asked what he was impressed by the most with Deng after being around him now for a few months, it was his hard work on and off the court that stood out the most.

"His professionalism and his commitment," Spoelstra said. "You can count on him. That's what we've learned through our research about him. He's an everyday guy."

Perhaps no other player on the roster can swing a game as much as Deng can when he's plugged in and scoring in bunches.

For the season, he's putting up 13.8 points per game. But in the Heat's 17 victories his scoring average increases to 16.3 points. In their 21 losses his scoring dips down to 11.8 points, with the difference between the two averages second only to Bosh by a small margin. It's also clear that when he struggles with his shot, the Heat are in trouble as evidenced by his 42.9 percent field goal shooting in losses. It goes up to 55.7 percent when they win.

But his game is much more than that of a scorer. Off the ball he is in constant motion shaking free of his defender. He has solid offensive skills but is a willing passer that always looks to get his teammates involved. Of particular usefulness recently has been his dribble-drive penetration towards the paint, where he has linked up with Andersen and Whiteside for alley-oop dunks.

On defense, the lanky 6-foot-9 forward can defend a variety of positions. In one extended sequence during the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, he capably defended point guard Chris Paul out on the perimeter. His wingspan and excellent footwork have bottled up many great players this season, including LeBron James on Christmas Day.

Much like the Heat as a team, however, it's been an up-and-down season for Deng as he gets used to the system and a new city with the starting lineups and rotations constantly changing around him. Though the team has won three of their five games in January, Deng has struggled from the field and is averaging just 8.2 points this month.

"I'm getting there," Deng said in regards to his comfort level in Miami. "I think it's taken a while. You never really expected the way things are going with guys going in and out. You try as hard as you can to get used to guys like (Josh) McRoberts -- and even without him when he was hurt, we would put in sets that it would be him (playing). Then he goes out and is done for the season and then you have Wade missing games and Bosh. It's just been unexpected.

"With guys in and guys out, your role changes. Really, the goal is we are a better team when we try to get everybody involved."

After spending his first nine years in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls, he was traded midway through the 2013-14 season to the Cleveland Cavaliers where he never fit in and his statistics plunged.

Now, Deng, who has started a team-leading 36 games, is trying to be the steady anchor for a team looking for consistency and a clear identity at a crucial juncture of its season.

"I just do whatever I've got to do to get ready for the game," he said. "I play as hard as I can."

You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.

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