Luol Deng

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Luol Deng announced his retirement from the NBA on Thursday. 

Deng’s career was an incredibly successful one. He played 15 seasons, made the All-Rookie Team, an All-Defensive Team and appeared in two All-Star games. Over those 15 seasons, Deng was part of seven playoff runs and averaged 14.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest.

He spent the last season of his career playing with the Timberwolves. Deng only played in 22 games with the Wolves, but it was what he did off the court that was so important for the team.

He was incredibly influential to rookies Josh Okogie and Keita Bates-Diop. He taught them things can change quickly in the NBA. One minute you’re out of the rotation and the next you’re in. Deng knew this from experience, going from not playing at all to playing quite a bit towards the end of the season. He taught them the importance of staying ready, even if it’s not paying off right away.

Deng was well-known among staff members of the Wolves for getting up late-night shots after games at the team’s practice facility. We’re talking like 10:30 at night. This was a guy who had nothing left to prove, but yet always acted as if he did.

“That’s probably why he was in the league that long,” Bates-Diop said. “That kind of work ethic.”

As for head coach Ryan Saunders, Deng played an instrumental part in the transition, for both Saunders and the players.

“Man, Lu is somebody, I’ll speak to what he meant to me personally in terms of stepping into a role midseason. He was another sounding board for me in a way," Saunders said. "His veteran leadership, his experience, how players respected him, and he was just always a guy who did the right things. Always kept himself ready, and he pushed the message of what the team was trying to do and what the coaches were trying to do. Whatever he decides to do after his career, he’ll be successful because guys like that always succeed.”

Deng has left a lasting impression on everyone that he crossed in the league in the most positive way. He should be proud of the way he played during his career, but it probably says more about him when you look at who he was off the court.

We wish him nothing but the best in his post-NBA career. 

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Luol Deng's Time With The Wolves Was Short, But His Impact Continues To Be Felt

The Wolves signed Luol Deng on Monday in a move that solidifies their bench and gives the team a valuable veteran presence both on the court and in the locker room.

In the NBA, the name of the game is getting guys who execute their role well. Is Deng going to average double digits this year? Probably not. Will Deng do his job in a system he knows well, offer good defense and floor spacing and provide another solid rebounder on the wing? That’s an oddly specific question I admit it, but the answer is yes.  

What makes Deng’s signing particularly intriguing is that even entering his 15th season in the league, he is still a relative unknown. Deng has struggled with injuries in the last few years and has only played one game in the last year. On a Lakers team that was fully committed to developing its younger players, Deng didn’t really get a chance to see the court. However, with a full year off to rest, rehabilitate and get his body right, Deng could very well see a return to form this year.

In his 2015-16 season with the Miami Heat, Deng averaged 12.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steals. He also made 1.2 threes per game on 34.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc. If Deng can even come close to matching those numbers with the Wolves this year he’ll make a difference on the court right away.

Deng also has experience being successful at the highest level. He was an All-Star in 2013 and 2014 and All-Defensive Second Team in 2012. He has played in 62 career playoff games and scored 986 playoff points.

All ‘Timberbulls’ jokes aside, this is a good move for the Wolves. It’s an early September signing that came after many of the other names were off the market, and it’s a low-risk signing for someone that will at the very least be a great presence in the locker room. Deng has had a long NBA career but he’s still just 33 years old and has the opportunity to show that he can still be productive in a clearly defined role. He knows Tom Thibodeau’s system, and there’s no doubt that he has had conversations with his old coach about what Thibs expects from him. Everyone is on the same page here. 

Off the court, Deng is just a standup guy to have in the building and in the community, especially following the departure of Jamal Crawford, who served as an important veteran presence for the team last year.

"As young as I was back then, and looking back at it, I wouldn't be in the position I am without Lu," Butler said of Deng in a 2016 L.A. Times article.

Deng is active in the community and in charity work and has been an outspoken voice for refugee communities. Born in Sudan, Deng became a British citizen in 2006 and he was an Olympic ambassador for the London Olympic Games. He was also active in the earlier years of Basketball Without Borders and serves as a spokesperson for the World Food Programme. In 2014 he won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.

Time will tell the impact that Deng will have on the court for the Wolves, but at the very least they are bringing in a proven leader and a proven winner in this league. That can only make this team better. 

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Luol Deng's Presence Can Only Help The Wolves

mintimberwolvespr

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves announced the team has signed forward Luol Deng. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

A 14-year NBA veteran, Deng has appeared in 880 career games (826 starts) over 14 seasons with Chicago, Miami, Cleveland and L.A. Lakers. Over his career he owns averages of 15.0 points on 45.5% shooting, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Deng played under Head Coach Tom Thibodeau for three-plus seasons (234 games) in Chicago from 2010-14, averaging 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds during the stretch. Under Thibodeau’s tutelage, Deng was named to the NBA All-Star Game in 2012 and 2013, as well as earning a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2012.

Deng has appeared in seven different postseasons between Chicago and Miami, including reaching the Eastern Conference Finals with Thibodeau and the Bulls in 2010-11. Deng has averaged 14.6 points on 45.5% shooting in 62 postseason contests (56 starts) over those seven seasons.

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Timberwolves Sign Luol Deng

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