Tom Thibodeau confident Luol Deng might escape wrist surgery - NBA Update
Chicago Bulls’ Coach Tom Thibodeau recently revealed that forward Luol Deng has been recovering from his wrist injury well, so much so that he might not need a surgery on it.
Luol has been adamant about carrying the Union Jack in the London Olympics and his decision has attracted huge criticism in Chicago. The small forward injured his wrist back in January and it was expected that he will have to undergo
a surgery in the off season.
Deng however delayed that surgery to be a part of the British Squad in the 2012 London Olympics and it was rumoured that he will be traded soon.
However the Chicago Bulls coach has put a brand new perspective on the situation;
"He's feeling a lot better; his wrist is a lot stronger," Thibodeau said on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "I think it's going to work out well."
“The way it is right now, he's going to play in those (Olympic) games, he's going to come back and continue his training. He said his wrist is feeling a lot better.”
If a surgical procedure has to be performed on Deng’s wrist, it can sideline him for at least the first month of the regular season. That can be a big blow for the Bulls, who will be without their franchise player Derrick Rose
for nearly half of the season.
Rose had torn his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in the Game 1 of the first round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, and although his speed of recovery is good, the one guard is not expected to be back before mid
January.
Deng is seen as the next best scoring option after Rose and with him on the sidelines as well, the Bulls might struggle to pull off enough wins. The forward managed to average 15.3 points and 6.5 boards in 54 regular season games
last season, the best season of his career, which also saw him being selected as an All-Star.
Bulls’ General Manager Gar Forman also sounded confident that Deng might escape the surgery;
"That's the hope (that surgery is unnecessary)," Forman told ESPN 1000's "The Carmen, Jurko and Harry Show" on Firday. "His wrist, he's continued to do a lot of rehab on it. And he's been working out on a regular basis. His wrist
has gotten stronger and is feeling better. I know that's what Luol hopes for and that's what we hope for.”
Despite all the optimistic talk, there is a chance that Deng might worsen his wrist during the Olympics and if that happens, the situation can be very bleak for the Bulls.
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