When the Miami Heat signed Luol Deng this offseason, the forward was quick to point out he’s not LeBron James and anybody expecting him to replace King James would be disappointed.
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That’s an obvious sentiment though Deng does seem to be short changing himself as he’s proven to be a solid two-way player. More than that though, Luol Deng brings with him a veteran presence and the Miami Heat feel he adds some much needed intangibles to the offense.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke about what Deng brings to the court after a recent practice.
“I think he fits in with all those intangible gaps. He is really a versatile player, which obviously we like those kind of guys. They can do a lot of different things. But he is very comfortable and efficient playing off the ball. And I think that fits into our system very well with his cuts and his secondary post ups and his offensive rebounding and his random, miscellaneous drives.”
In addition, Spoelstra went on to credit Luol Deng for his shooting ability and suggested Miami Heat fans will be happy with his stroke as it routinely gets overlooked. He also suggested Deng’s style of game fits perfectly with what the Heat are trying to do offensively and he’ll be a big part of the offense.
All that said it’s likely Luol Deng will be the third offensive option behind Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade (when healthy) so he may not put up gaudy numbers, though should be solid and efficent throughout the season. That’s all you can really ask if you’re a Miami Heat fan. Anything else Deng provides is just icing on the cake.
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