ESPN

Over the next few weeks, we'll take a closer look at each player on the Bulls roster and see where they fit in for the future.

Luol Deng

Position: SF | Age: 27 | 2011-12 salary: $12,341,275

Season recap: Deng earned the first All-Star berth of his career by playing solid on both ends of the floor. He thrived playing alongside Derrick Rose and continued to play well on the defensive end. Deng tore a ligament in his left wrist on Jan. 21 against the Charlotte Bobcats and ended up missing seven games while trying to get the pain down so he could continue to play. He decided to forgo surgery so he could help the Bulls contend for a title and play for Team Great Britian in this summer's Olympics. Deng played through pain the rest of the season logging big minutes. He struggled in the playoffs until Games 5 and 6 when he concluded that he had to take on a bigger role offensively while the Bulls played without Rose (torn ACL) and Joakim Noah (ankle).

Season highlight: Aside from the All-Star Game, Deng's grittiest and most important performance probably came in Game 6 against the 76ers. He had 19 points, 17 rebounds, played close to 43 minutes and was about two seconds short of leading the Bulls to a victory without Rose and Noah.

Season lowlight: Obviously, the injury was the lowest point of Deng's season, but in terms of performance, Games 2-4 will be tough for him to forget over the summer. He went just 10-for-30 from the field in those three games and scored just 24 points. As usual, Deng had to guard the opposing team's top offensive player, and he certainly slowed down Andre Iguodala at times, but with the Bulls looking for an offensive spark, Deng was unable to provide one during that stretch.

Notes: It was only a few years ago that Chicago fans questioned Deng's toughness. Now, after playing almost an entire season with a torn ligament in his wrist, Deng has changed that perception. He is the guy who plays 40 minutes a night, and he is the one who has gotten even better under Thibodeau. Deng has earned a lot of respect from both fans and teammates for the way he plays. Now it will be interesting to see if fans get frustrated with his decision to put off surgery until mid-August.

Quotes: "I’ve got to see how my wrist feels, right now, going into the Olympics, and then right after the Olympics. I’ll make the decision, whether if my wrist is good enough i don’t need the surgery, or if I’ll need it. I haven’t really ruled out not getting the surgery or getting it. i just haven’t made that decision. I just know i’ve got the Olympics ahead of me, since i was a kid growing up, it's something I always wanted an opportunity to be part of. the fact that it’s in my hometown that I grew up in a country that gave me opportunity to even be here, I’m looking forward to it." – Deng after the season-ending loss in Game 6

What's next?: Deng is at the heart of one of the most interesting subplots of the NBA summer. He has said he plans to play in the Olympics so the question becomes: Will he decide to have surgery after the Olympics to fix his wrist? If he does, that means he will likely be out for the first two months of next season while he recovers. Although the Bulls can't be happy about that, they cannot stop him from playing in the Olympics because of a rule in the CBA. Deng and the Bulls have held out hope that he might not need surgery after the Olympics, but that seems like a long shot given how often the wrist seemed to bother him throughout the season.

Final grades -- Regular season: A- Postseason: B-

Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng was named to the NBA's All-Defensive second team in a vote by the league's 30 head coaches.

Deng, who was named to his first All-Star Game this season, received six first-team votes and eight second-team votes. He is joined on the second team by guards Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, center Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks, and forward Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics.

LeBron James headlined the first team with 24 first-team votes. He is joined on the first team by forward Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder, guards Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers and Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies and center Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

The 30 NBA head coaches were asked to select first and second teams by position and were not permitted to vote for players from their own team.

Deng, who played most of the season with torn ligaments in his left wrist, averaged 15.3 points and 6.5 rebounds this season and often guarded the opposition's best player.

Bulls center Joakim Noah received 14 votes for the second team.

Recently, especially here in Chicago, there seems to be this growing sentiment about the role professional athletes must play when it comes to loyalty. And it's a narrow definition: Loyalty to the teams they play for; loyalty to the teams that pay them.

Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng is at the center of a sentiment that extends far beyond his particular dilemma.

See, Deng is hurt. He has a wrist injury that needs rest, followed possibly by surgery. If done now, that surgery would have time to heal and make him available for the beginning of the 2012-13 NBA season, a season that his team will begin without Derrick Rose, the 2011 MVP and the franchise's savior.

If the Bulls are to remain an elite team in the NBA, as they have been the past two seasons (finishing with the league's best record), they'll need Deng to do next season what he did this past season: save them until Rose returns.

According to many, Deng owes the Bulls that.

Read the entire story.

CHICAGO -- Luol Deng has stated repeatedly that he will 'definitely' be playing for Team Great Britain during this summer’s London Olympics despite the fact that he has a torn ligament in his left wrist. But before he makes a final decision about his future, Bulls GM Gar Forman and coach Tom Thibodeau want to sit down and discuss all the options with him.

"We're going to sit down with Luol some time in the next week," Forman said Tuesday afternoon. "Obviously, the season ended, and we've had Derrick (Rose) and his (knee surgery) over the weekend. Our biggest concern for Luol -- and I know the Bulls' fans concern and Luol's concern -- is his health. We haven't had a chance to sit down with him at length, but we will in the next week and go from there."

Forman, Thibodeau and Deng have held out hope that Deng still may not require surgery. If he does, and he remains committed to the Olympics, he would be out three to four months, likely keeping him out for the first two months of next season. Bulls team physician Dr. Brian Cole said Tuesday that Rose would likely be out between eight to 12 months while recovering from surgery to fix a torn left ACL he suffered during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Deng, who suffered his wrist injury on Jan. 21 and decided to play through the season, remained passionate about his decision to play in the Olympics after the Sixers ended the Bulls' season last week.

"I’ve got to see how my wrist feels right now, going into the Olympics, and then right after the Olympics," Deng said after Game 6. "I’ll make the decision, whether if my wrist is good enough I don’t need the surgery, or if I’ll need it. I haven’t really ruled out not getting the surgery or getting it. I just haven’t made that decision. I just know I’ve got the Olympics ahead of me. Since I was a kid growing up, it's something I always wanted an opportunity to be part of. the fact that it’s in my hometown that I grew up in a country that gave me opportunity to even be here, I’m looking forward to it."

(Read full post)

For once I just wanted him to speak the truth. Speak to what was really going on in his mind, speak to how he was really feeling in that moment. But to ask Tom Thibodeau -- or any coach not named Rex Ryan -- to do that, especially after having their season end would be like asking someone to make a hybrid car look like something you'd want to drive or be seen in.

Thibs, being the class act that he's always been, after the Bulls loss to the Sixers said all of the right things. PC to a fault. What I wanted him to say and what I wished he'd have said? Totally different than what came out of his mouth.

My wish is that he'd have said this:

"First off, we should be playing a Game 7. It's just that simple. You all know it, you all saw it. There's no way in hell I should be sitting up here talking to you about the end of our season tonight, we should be talking about what my game plan is for Saturday. Instead, here we are.

"Bottom-line, Philadelphia should have never gotten the ball back after Omer (Asik) missed those free throws. That foul was either an intentional or a flagrant. The guy wrapped both of his arms around Omer's neck. In every other NBA game, that's a call the ref has no choice but to make. It's in the rule book. It's an automatic call. Two free throws and possession. Game over. You all saw it! Anyway ... I'm not going to say anything further about it because I don't feel like getting fined, and I don't want to get a phone call from Stern's office telling me I'm right, but I should not have said anything about it. This is the NBA, I've been around this League long enough to know that I shouldn't expect anything different.

(Read full post)

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- The skies were blue, sun shining, temperature perfect and the day miserable in Chicago, Friday. At least for Chicago Bulls fans who, though not exactly optimistic about the team's playoff chances after Derrick Rose tore his ACL two weeks ago, were left with an aching void after the Bulls were eliminated in the first round by eighth-seed Philadelphia.

The only thing left now, other than the typically frustrating rhythms of Cubs and Sox baseball and football in shorts, is to dwell on the what if's and what-will-be's.

Here are 10 burning Bulls thoughts sure to bug us all summer:

Read the entire story.

PHILADELPHIA -- Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng has said all along that will play in this summer's Olympics. That message didn't change after the Bulls' season came to a close Thursday night.

"I’m looking forward to playing in the Olympics," Deng said. "I’m excited about it. It's something i’ve wanted to do since i was a kid. and i’ll prepare myself for it."

Deng, who tore a ligament in his left wrist on Jan. 21 put off surgery during the season so that he could help the Bulls compete for a championship. He also repeatedly stated his desire to represent his adopted home country of Great Britain this summer in London. Some wondered if Deng may change his mind about the surgery after watching his teammate Derrick Rose go down with a torn ACL in his left knee during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Philadelphia 76ers, but Deng remained steady with his choice. If Deng does have to have surgery, it will likely take three or four months for him to return to the floor, but that will not stop him from playing in the Games.

"I’ve got to see how my wrist feels, right now, going into the Olympics, and then right after the Olympics," he said. "I’ll make the decision, whether if my wrist is good enough i don’t need the surgery, or if I’ll need it. I haven’t really ruled out not getting the surgery or getting it. I just haven’t made that decision. I just know I’ve got the Olympics ahead of me, since I was a kid growing up, it's something I always wanted an opportunity to be part of. the fact that it’s in my hometown that I grew up in a country that gave me opportunity to even be here, I’m looking forward to it."

Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau was asked if he would be upset if Deng had to have the surgery after the Olympics and potentially miss the first two months of next season.

"I don't look at it that way because I really haven't talked to him yet about next year," Thibodeau said. "I want a chance to sit down and see what his thoughts are and I know he's given us everything that he has, so I have a lot of respect for that. But we'll sit down at the end and we'll come up with a plan."

Deng, who suffered the same injury on his right wrist during his rookie year, admitted that playing through the pain this season was a very challenging process.

"Honestly, my whole career it’s the toughest thing I’ve done," he said. "I look back at it and I’m glad I did it. I really hope in the long run it’s going to make me a better player. I learned a lot of things to be capable to do that. I’m glad I made the decision. we had the best record and we were going into the playoffs with the best team. It was definitely a great decision, unfortunately other things happened."

Thibodeau sounded truly appreciative of the effort Deng put forth throughout the year. Deng, who finished with 19 points and 17 rebounds in Game 6, made his first All-Star team in February.

"You can never overlook this, Luol's a terrific player, All-Star player for us," Thibodeau said. "To play a majority of the season with torn ligaments; he could have chosen to sit out, but it says a lot about him that he played and [he's] a great leader, great toughness, and he does whatever's necessary to help you win. Overall, I thought he improved a lot from last year. I thought this year even though his scoring dipped a little bit I think he improved from last year. His all-around game was terrific."

It wasn’t pretty, but the Bulls managed to extend their series against the Philadelphia 76ers with a victory on Tuesday. But there are still two wins to be had if the Bulls want to become the ninth team in history to win a series after trailing 3-1.

Will the Bulls make it all the way back and move into the second round? Our 3-on-3 panel debates that and more.

Fact or Fiction: The Bulls will win their series against the 76ers.

Jon Greenberg: Fact. Twenty-four hours ago, I would have disagreed, but like Neo in “The Matrix,” I can see clearly now. The Bulls didn’t really play three bad games, more like four bad quarters. And like Tom Thibodeau said, Tuesday’s ugly win shows Chicago still has more than enough to win with, defensively at least. On this point, I don’t get why Thibodeau went away from Ronnie Brewer in Game 3. Brewer’s length on the perimeter is vital in defending the Sixers’ guards and small forwards, and you saw the result of him getting nearly 30 minutes Tuesday. Brewer played all but 17 seconds in the second quarter, during which Philadelphia scored 10 points on 4-for-23 shooting.

Nick Friedell: Fiction. For as much momentum as the Bulls got in Game 5, it's hard to believe they'll be able to go into a hostile environment and hold Philly to 32 percent shooting again. It's also going to be tough for the Bulls to generate enough offense to topple a Sixers team that knows they must close out the series in Philadelphia. The Bulls players haven't given up all hope, but the absence of Rose down the stretch will prove to be too much.

Scoop Jackson: Fact. The fact that the Bulls finally seemed to overcome the losses of Rose and Noah is big. Now they are back to being themselves, which might not be a good thing for the Sixers. The Bulls knowthey can beat the Sixers and know that they are the better team, but taking two unexpected back-to-back losses of two of the three best/most important players on the team takes time to recover from. The emotional and mental toll alone will cost the greatest of teams at least two games in seven-game series. Now it seems that the Bulls, with the Game 5 win, have not just their legs and their confidence back, but they have their minds back.

---

Fact or Fiction: All of the pressure is now on the 76ers.

Jon Greenberg: Fiction. The Bulls aren’t exactly an upstart team happy to stretch a series to six games. Yes, they’ve been to the abyss and back, but if the Sixers go on a second-half run Thursday, the familiar doubts will creep back in the Bulls’ heads. This is a proud team, and while they love and respect Derrick Rose (not to mention Joakim Noah, who could try to play Thursday on a bum ankle), these guys want to prove they’re not just a supporting cast. Losing a first-round series to a flawed team like Philadelphia would sting, and now that it’s a series again, Chicago’s players have to feel some pressure to take it back to the United Center for a Game 7.

Nick Friedell: Fact. As Kyle Korver said after Game 5, the Sixers were able to play free and easy because they knew they had plenty of chances to close the series out. Now this young team has a chance to close it out on their home floor. The Bulls have already been left for dead by most pundits so they won't be feeling much pressure at all. The Sixers must show they have matured to the point they can end a series when all the chips are down.

Scoop Jackson: Fact. The one thing an eighth-seed can least afford to do is let a one-seed get a win when they have them on the ropes. The Sixers had the Bulls like Canelo had Sugar Shane last Saturday. But now that Thibs has T.D. Jake’d the Bulls back to life the tables have turned. Now the narrative of the series (at least Game 6) is about the Sixers not losing instead of the pressure of the Bulls winning. But let’s be honest, to say all of the pressure is on the Sixers would be misleading and a little bit of a lie. The Bulls, even with injuries to Rose, Noah and now Taj Gibson combined with C.J. Watson not seeming comfortable running the team, still have pressure on them to win at least one more game. Yes, they will forever be allowed the excuse of injures if they do lose this series, but if they don’t push this series to Game 7, the excuse lose credibility.

---

Fact or Fiction: Doug Collins has been playing mind games with the Bulls this series.

Jon Greenberg: Fiction. Collins’ weird announcement of Bulls’ Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson’s heart condition was classic Collins -- too much emotion. Collins has long been known as the basketball version of Dick Vermeil. Michael Jordan supposedly once told complaining All-Star teams that at least their coach doesn’t cry in front of them. Collins has a lifelong bond with the Bulls, and while I’m sure he’d love nothing more than to beat them -- that is the point, after all -- I don’t believe he’s psyching them out with any clever machinations. Unless, of course, he hypnotized Thibodeau into playing Rose late in Game 1, or he telekinetically ripped asunder Rose’s ACL. Then, yes, he’s definitely Dark Phoenix.

Nick Friedell: Fact. The lineup switch to put Evan Turner in as a starter has paid dividends for the veteran coach. He has been able to shuffle around his lineup and really take advantage of Rose's absence. The fact that Collins made the public aware of Paxson's heart issue may have seemed like a nice gesture to most, but there were some within the Bulls' organization who were upset that Collins decided to disclose that publicly. Either way, Collins has pulled the right strings throughout the series and now has a chance to get his eighth-seeded team into the second round.

Scoop Jackson: Fiction: I heard this as a point of conversation on sports talk radio and thought it was the most asinine thing I’d damn-near ever heard. And reading it and having to respond to it now, I feel the same way. Look, I know Doug Collins and most of the people in this business in this city who have been doing this for a significant amount of time know him too. They know that’s not even close to the type of coach or person he is. Anyone who believes that about Collins should be ashamed of thinking that he would use his compassion and empathy for the Bulls’ unfortunate series of events -- specifically his personal feelings of sadness watching Rose go down in front of his team’s bench and wanting to go out there to help him -- as a way to motivate his team or use it as a psychological ploy against the Bulls. All coaches in professional sports play mind games. They have to, it’s part of the path to greatness. But to put out there that Collins is using this time and opposing players’ pain to gain an advantage is kinda pathetic.

Jon Greenberg is a columnist for ESPNChicago.com, Nick Friedell covers the Bulls for ESPNChicago.com and Scoop Jackson is a columnist for ESPN.com.

CHICAGO -- Carlos Boozer always believed the Chicago Bulls would be headed back to Philadelphia on Thursday night -- even when things were at their bleakest.

As the rest of his teammates filed out of the locker room on Sunday afternoon after Game 4, Boozer peeled some money out of his pocket to give to the visiting locker room attendants.

"Just so you (guys) know," he said. "We will be back."

At the time, it wouldn’t have been surprising if the young men laughed in his face. After losing Derrick Rose (torn ACL) and Joakim Noah (sprained ankle) in the span of a week, the Bulls looked emotionally broken as they left Philadelphia down 3-1. Boozer never lost faith in himself, though. He was always convinced that he could have a solid Game 5 and help push the series back to Philadelphia.

It turns out he was right.

(Read full post)

CHICAGO -- With the Chicago Bulls on the brink of a season-ending collapse, Luol Deng stepped up and showed he has more than enough ligaments to shoot with.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Tom Thibodeau Coaching Robot’s mantra, “We’ve got more than enough to win with,” you probably didn’t laugh at that joke. If you’re sick of hearing Thibodeau say those words after the soul-crushing loss of Derrick Rose and a mind-numbing three-game losing streak, you probably winced at it.

But ThibsBot doesn't lie. Or if he does, he believes it. The losing streak is over and despite another late Ankle Moment, the half-dead Bulls are still alive in their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers after a non-artful 77-69 win at the United Center on Tuesday night.

Just when everyone had finished their obituaries.

Deng, hampered for more than half of the season with a torn ligament in his left hand, has battled through pain to try and erase any lingering, if not misguided, notion that he’s a soft player. But it wasn't just about Deng's reputation. He wanted to play, rather than get surgery, because Deng knew this was going to be a special season. And it almost was. Now the O'Brien Trophy is out of reach, but the Bulls want to keep playing out of stubborn pride. Forget the beach, give them Philly and then Boston or Atlanta.

Read the entire column.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers may have saved themselves from NBA playoff embarrassment with their third-quarter performance on Tuesday.

The two teams had scored a total of 61 points after one half Tuesday and appeared headed toward the NBA record for fewest total points scored in a playoff game. The Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics set the record of 130 points in 2002.

The Bulls and 76ers helped their chances of avoiding that by showing some offensive life in the third quarter. The two teams combined for 44 points in the quarter and have 105 points for the game. The Bulls led 57-48 heading into the fourth quarter.

The 76ers aren’t also likely to set the record for least points in a playoff game by a single team. The record is owned by the Utah Jazz which scored 54 points in a loss to the Bulls on June 7, 1998.

As if the Bulls needed more bad news, Taj Gibson left with an ankle injury in the third quarter. The Bulls are already playing without Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah due to injuries.

After struggling in the first half, Carlos Boozer scored 12 points in the third quarter and has a game-high 17 points. Luol Deng also continued to lead the way. He scored four more points in the quarter and has 15.

The 76ers’ offensive woes have been across the board. Jrue Holiday is shooting 3-of-13 through three quarters, and Andre Iguodala is 4-of-14 for a team-high nine points. The team was 20-of-58 from the field.

PHILADELPHIA -- Carlos Boozer tried his best to ignore the fact that his Chicago Bulls went to the free throw line 17 fewer times than the Philadelphia 76ers in Sunday afternoon’s 89-82 Game 4 loss, but he couldn't help himself when the topic came up.

"It's crazy," Boozer said of the 31-14 disparity. "I thought we were driving. I thought Luol [Deng] was driving almost every time he got the ball. He was getting contact on a lot of his shots. I thought C.J. [Watson] was driving the ball. There was one play at the end of the game [when] he got hit right in the face. I saw the whole play and he didn't get that call."

But then Boozer channeled his inner Tom Thibodeau. As much he would like to blame the officials for the fact that his team is now down 3-1 in its Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, he knows better.

"Listen, we're not going to sit here and blame the referees for our loss," Boozer said. "It was our fault we lost the game. We gave up 25 points in the fourth quarter. There were too many points in the fourth quarter. We didn't lose the game because of the refs, but the discrepancy was huge. And I thought we were being pretty aggressive, we got in the penalty early, but we didn't get as many free throws as they did. That's tough, but at the same time that's not why we lost. We lost because we didn't contain their guards in the fourth quarter."

(Read full post)

PHILADELPHIA -- After a season full of fighting through every obstacle in their path, a cold, hard truth hit Tom Thibodeau and his team square in the face Sunday afternoon. They no longer have more than enough to win with.

That's the message that came across loud and clear during the Bulls' 89-82 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers. All the bravado and positive energy in the world can't erase the fact that the Bulls don't have enough playmakers on the floor to scratch out a close victory.

Thibodeau wanted his team to believe it could win without Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah on the floor, but their absence appears to be too big to overcome.

(Read full post)

PHILADELPHIA -- Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has never wavered in the confidence he's shown towards his team. His coaching mantra is, "We have more than enough to win with."

He said it again on Saturday afternoon just seconds after all but admitting that Joakim Noah wasn't going to play in Game 4. Thibodeau's philosophy is that no matter who steps on the floor, the Bulls can win. It goes beyond talent for the veteran coach. He believes that if he puts his team in the right position and the players follow his direction, they will find their way.

But at some point, no matter how well a team executes an offense or runs plays, talent must win out. Clutch players have to make tough shots in big situations and the Bulls found out the hard way during the fourth quarter in Game 3 that without Derrick Rose, and to a much lesser extent Noah, the Bulls have a team full of guys who are still learning how to come through with the game on the line.

The Bulls shot just 6-for-25 in the final 12 minutes and looked inept at times down the stretch. It wasn't so much that a 14-point lead evaporated, it was how it happened so quickly. The Bulls ran down the floor on certain sets and appeared to have no idea what they wanted to do. Whether it was John Lucas III dribbling around with no particular purpose or Kyle Korver missing the open looks that he did get, the Bulls had no rhythm to their game. Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer, two key offensive weapons the Bulls needed to step up in place of Rose, finished the quarter a combined 1-for-7, with Deng's only shot coming in the final seconds.

As Thibodeau watched the tape on Saturday, it's hard to believe he didn't get sick to his stomach.

(Read full post)

PHILADELPHIA -- Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng has stated all season that he is going to represent Great Britain in the London Olympics this summer, and that hasn't changed despite the fact Derrick Rose tore his left ACL and may have to miss a large chunk of next season for the Chicago Bulls.

Read the entire story.