Luol Deng finds Dwyane Wade for slam (VIDEO)
By Wes Goldberg
Luol Deng finds Dwyane Wade for a big dunk.
The Miami Heat return seven players from the last season.
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That’s it, just seven. That’s kind of what happens when the best player on the planet leaves your team–you are forced to rebuild. For Pat Riley, one of his new bricks is Luol Deng.
Deng is a resectable replacement for James at small forward, and he will ensure that the position doesn’t become a weakness in Miami. Aside from accumulating actual talent, the Heat will need to work on their chemistry with so many new players.
In the Heat’s preseason home opener against the Orlando Magic, we saw some of that chemistry come to life when Deng found a cutting Dwyane Wade for a dunk.
Deng is having a strong game for the Heat, with 18 points on six-of-13 shooting, he also has six rebounds and three assists. Dwyane Wade is also impressing early, looking spry and moving well. He is five-of-10 from the field for 11 points, two assists and two steals.
Deng rounds out a trio with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Those three are the leading scorers in this game and clearly above the rest in terms of talent and impact. Deng, in particular, looks like the second-best player on the floor behind Bosh. Josh McRoberts figures to be a key contributor, too, but is inactive recovering from toe surgery.
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