Chicago Bulls' Carlos Boozer replaces Luol Deng as media’s NBA sweetheart
Basketball fans will not soon forget Luol Deng’s eye-catching performance for the Chicago Bulls in their match against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, November 1, 2010 at the United Center. Beside a game-high 40 points, he
hit three three-pointers and scored on 14 of his 19 field goal attempts. Deng made his first attempt with 8:35 left in the first quarter and then went on to go six-for-seven in the quarter, adding four free throws for 16 points.
It was Sudanese-born Deng who received praise for his defense after keeping the Blazers' All Star guard Brandon Roy quiet throughout the game, restricting him to scoring on only four of his 12 field-goal attempts.
"Everything goes through Derrick (Rose), but (Deng) had a lot of open shots and knocked them down,'' said the Bulls’ Joakim Noah after his team won the game.
But on December 13, the Chicago Bulls played against the Indiana Pacers at United Center, and it was recently-arrived forward Carlos Boozer who was the star of the game. Boozer scored a team-high 22 points and grabbed 18 rebounds
to help propel the Bulls to victory.
Luol Deng performed well too, scoring 15 points and nine rebounds. But from here onwards, Boozer was the media’s new sweetheart and Deng’s performance was regarded with a dismissive eye.
“Deng's numbers have been down since Carlos Boozer arrived on the scene,” said a report by NBC Sports. “Entering the team, he has seen a six-point, 2.7 rebound drop while his FG shooting has risen by six points up to 50 percent,
too. The bad news there is that the shooting will likely fall off, but the other numbers aren't expected to rise.”
Of course, many have also commented that Boozer’s arrival on the scene has given Deng some much-needed rest, as his minutes are now reduced. But to expect Deng’s performance to deteriorate would be a mistake. The six-foot-nine-inch
basketball star has a penchant for scoring in double figures and knows how to play as a member of a team unit. The talented Boozer too will have this moment in the spotlight, but Deng’s memorable performances are sure to continue.
Tags: