OT: Luol Deng out of favor in CHI?

I want Derrick Rose to start playing well again, so we can do a Capt. Kirk trade. That would be a much better trade for us. Batum will be back - and he will solve our problems at SF while Kirk will add another good perimeter defender at a different position.

But, Deng will be nice to have. A long-term Deng/Batum rotation is nice - but since JB is out - what is our future at PG? Blake resigned and ride Miller until he is too old and slow?

Long-term thinking, Deng and SF issues are less important than upgrading the PG position for a 3-5 years down the road.

 

I'm only half being facetious. He's actually having a rough time of it scoring-wise in Bologna, and they keep signing famous names from college basketball of the past to play PG (most recently Scoonie Penn), but he played big minutes in the last game, and they're winning, and I think his role is exactly what Blake's is with us at the moment - glue guy with good handles who plays good perimeter defense. And we saw that bad numbers in the Serie A doesn't automatically mean bad numbers in the NBA (see Jennings, Brandon).

 

I honestly have not seen him play since the summer-league games more than a year ago - so it is hard for me to say.

Maybe he is, maybe he is not. Who knows?

 

Hey, he at least looks slightly more grown up. Doesn't look like a 12 year old, so that's nice. Does he speak English well, anyone know? I know it was hard for Batum, not knowing the language well, on the court. I imagine for a PG, it would be that much mroe difficult.

 

I bloody hope so. The "LaMarcus for Deng" thought was in Aldridge's rookie year. I haven't entertained that thought in a LONG time.

 

He can chew his fingernails just like LeBron.

 

Yes.

 

Here's what he did against Tony Parker this Summer. (Actually, that was the game Finland lost. They won the other game against France.)

 

I've always liked Deng. I've been willing to take the risk on his contract for a couple of years...would have been nice if Portland had.

Deng is also pretty big and strong for a wing...he might have been able to give some minutes at power forward, as Outlaw did. 13 minutes backing up Aldridge, 25 minutes at small forward.

 

That's not good.

If we have learned something from the entire Heikki Kovalainen vs. Kimi Raikkonen/Mika Häkkinen thing - it's the Finns that you can't hear/understand that turn out to be great athletes

 

Alas the Deng ship has sailed. There isn't a chance in hell they part with him for anything less than LMA at this point; 3 role-players/scrubs is out the window, regardless of how much cap space it provides the Bulls with.

 

I'm not sure I see what you're saying? Deng is a midrange guy who can also post up and play a little bit of power forward. Salmons is probably more naturally suited to playing shooting guard and typically he's been a pretty good spot up shooter from the wings and off of the catch.

But I'm not really sure you could say they are coexisting right now, Salmons has had a horrific start to the season shooting a paltry 34% from the field and 30% from distance.

 

I actually thought Portland should have made the deal last year to get Salmons and Miller. I have always like Miller as a player, and Salmons has grown on me. Its fracking sick to think that San Antonio drafted that dude too, and let him go.

 

salmons and miller would look pretty good here right now.

 

I'd happily trade Deng + James Johnson for Oden + Rudy

Can you imagine a team with Rose, Noah, and Oden? Thats pretty good, young core.

 

^ GTFO