Luol Deng ready to defy trainer by fulfilling national duty

[Rerisen]

So what would Great Britain's chances look like if Deng didn't play this offseason? Would it be a total embarrassment?

[Three34]

No he's not. Deng also is not obligated to play for GB. He chooses to play for GB given what he feels he owes the country and the love he feels for them. I think many Bulls fans feel disappointed that he apparently doesn't appreciate what this team has done for them enough to make them a priority.

This thing right here does not equal a lack of appreciation for the Bulls. He can aprpeciate them both and try to satisfy them both. I haven't seen anything to suggest that he's stiffing one for the sake of the other. Even the article that this thread (and its scaremongering title) was born out of saw the need to find a compromise.

dedicate his off season

He's not doing that. It's like a freakin' week of games. Two weeks if they actually win a bit.

Gordon wants to play for Britain in these games, too. If he does, are we going to be mad at him? Not really, no. And that's because he's not been injured this year. So if you're going to be mad at Deng for doing it, it has to be because you think it's somehow the cause of injuries. And I'm not fully convinced. It will factor, but if Deng practice with Britan for a week and then plays three games, then proceeds to shatter his ankle next January, how related is it?

[Three34]

So what would Great Britain's chances look like if Deng didn't play this offseason? Would it be a total embarrassment?

Basically. It would be Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Joel Freeland, and a whole host of nobody, assuming (as I will) that Gordon won't play without Deng.

Ever heard of Nate Reinking? Andrew Sullivan? Richard Midgeley? They'll be our horses. Yeehaw.

[Rerisen]

If BG comes over is Deng still going to love their style? BG isn't just going to pass it around like Deng likes to do. But then again he could probably torch the competition anyway.

[fudgie]

Except that playing the extra month HAS seemed to be the downfall of players. That's the point.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. To use the Kirk comparison again, he played for the USA in the 2006 FIBA World Championships during the offseason, and then put up the finest season of his life BY, MILES. He didn't get injured the following season, either.

I realise that Deng's body of work over the last 18 months suggests that it hinders him a bit. But playing what might be all of three games for Britian isn't going to be the main reason if he sucks for the next 82 next season.

Off the top of my head the only players I can recall whose participation in international play hindered them later that year are Garbajosa and Ginobili.

----------------------------

In the vast majority of cases I support players playing in international competitions unless the player has injuries that need the of time to heal so I'd strongly prefer Deng to take the time off this season.

On the other hand Eurobasket is a pretty big deal in Europe which is something I'm not sure many Americans understand. It's not just some random qualification tournament like the FIBA Americas Cup but it is the European championship which puts it just a notch below the Olympics and world championship.

I'd prefer he take it easy the offseason but I can understand why he would want to play.

[musiqsoulchild]

There is no legal, moral, emotional or loyal benchmark that Deng fails to meet if he chooses to play for UK without paying heed to medical opinion of the Bulls doctors.

There is no moral, contractual, legal or loyal benchmark that the Bulls would be failing to meet if they were to trade Deng this offseason.

Win- Win, anyone?

[DuckIII]

I think many Bulls fans feel disappointed that he apparently doesn't appreciate what this team has done for them enough to make them a priority.

I'm going to get a little hyper-technical with word choice here. There is nothing here suggesting that Deng isn't making the Bulls "a" priority. Indeed, the article talks about him taking a reduced role on the national team this summer because of his obligations to the Bulls. The Bulls are "a" priority for Deng. They just aren't the lone priority.

He's certainly under no legal obligation to do so, but it's awfully disheartening as a Bulls fan to see him come off this season and the dedicate his off season to the British national team instead of to the Bulls.

There it is again. He's going to do both. Its not an either/or proposition. And frankly, based on the limited duty angle, it appears that on the balance his choices are geared more towards benefitting the Bulls than the GB National Team.

[Rerisen]

They don't only play important games once in every 4 years. Just because the USA isn't in the Eurobasket, it doesn't mean that it isn't a really important competition.

I don't think most of the US even thinks the competitions we do play in are important. Well only if we lose, then they become important after the fact.

[girlygirl]

Luol's only "duty" should be to get completely healthy. If that means not playing for the Bulls OR Britain's national team, that's what he needs to do. He should NOT play for anyone until he is completely healthy.

I understand his loyalty toward his adopted country, and if he's completely healthy, then fine, go play for GB.

However, it does come off as completely disrespectful towards the people who are paying him a ton of $$$ to play basketball in the NBA. It seems like he cares more about representing GB well -- an doesn't really care about how he represents the ulls. This may not be the case, but that's how it comes across.

[dougthonus]

There it is again. He's going to do both. Its not an either/or proposition. And frankly, based on the limited duty angle, it appears that on the balance his choices are geared more towards benefitting the Bulls than the GB National Team.

It isn't an either/or proposition in the sense that it's impossible to do both. However, doing both adds significant risk to successfully handling his obligations with the Bulls. Much like any behavior that's has a high probability of hurting him or hampering his ability to play for the Bulls.

At this point in time, Deng's performance has completely screwed over the Bulls. I mean he has performed so far under his contract that he's one of the bottom 10 contracts in the NBA right now IMO. My personal feeling is that given how much Deng's lack of performance and inability to stay healthy has destroyed this team that he should avoid 100% of the extra risk associated with playing any national basketball whatsoever.

Yes, he may be able to do both, and maybe it won't come back to hurt him, and maybe he wouldn't have gotten anything extra by working out with team people and other Bulls players instead in the off season, or maybe none of those things are true. Maybe it will come back to hurt him. Maybe he would improve more by playing with his teammates and working with the coaching staff. It's a matter of probabilities.

I don't think it's a huge deal. I know he's not legally obligated to feel that way. I'm not going to be picketing Deng or anything because of it. I think he owes the Bulls more than split priorities this off season given how he has not lived up to his end of the commitment the Bulls made to him. I think, morally, he owes that much to the team. Legally he doesn't have to give it.

[TB#1]

Just because the USA isn't in the Eurobasket, it doesn't mean that it isn't a really important competition.

Um, yeah, that is exactly what it means.


Deng should sit his ass down and get healthy so he can fulfill his contract.

[TheStig]

By the way, all of you who are making comments to the extent of "Luol isn't loyal enough, let's trade him" are kind of missing a point. The fact that his employer - to whom you wish him to be staunchly loyal - is able to trade him away for no reason at all if they so choose, is a reason to cap any man's loyalty to them.

Which would you rather do; be the face and the saviour of all of basketball in the finest nation in the world, the one which gave you and your family political asylum, which gave you the health and relative wealth of you and yours, and which your family resides and finds employment (including your basketball playing siblings).......or turn all that down to be "loyal" to a team whose fans want you gone.

I'm choosing the former, and I'd support any player's decision to do the same, even if I didn't share their nationality like I do with Luol right hurr.

Sure, not like the bulls have invested 81 Million guaranteed in him between both his contracts. JR was very unloyal.

[DuckIII]

Just because the USA isn't in the Eurobasket, it doesn't mean that it isn't a really important competition.

Um, yeah, that is exactly what it means.

What something *means* is subjective. And Lu is European and is the face of his country's basketball team.

Deng should sit his ass down and get healthy so he can fulfill his contract.

As an American Bulls' fan, I agree with you.

[Tommy Udo 6]

So what would Great Britain's chances look like if Deng didn't play this offseason? Would it be a total embarrassment?

Basically. It would be Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Joel Freeland, and a whole host of nobody, assuming (as I will) that Gordon won't play without Deng.

Ever heard of Nate Reinking? Andrew Sullivan? Richard Midgeley? They'll be our horses. Yeehaw.

You also have Golden State's Azubuike, right?

[Three34]

Azubuike wasn't granted a passport because his parents were in London ilegally when he was born there. I think they're appealing it, but I don't know how much legs it has.

[DuckIII]

I think, morally, he owes that much to the team.

There is no "morally".

[Rerisen]

Loul Deng seems to have trust issues with the Bulls, the Bulls doctors, and anyone related with the NBA (i.e. Thorpe, who advised him against playing internationally). Compared to the grubby, greedy NBA, he probably views his participation with the GB team as somehow pure, untainted basketball, and noble in his purpose with it. Sometimes you just want to tell Deng to grow up.

But I have suggested before that this might be a guy that just doesn't place that ultimate priority in his life on NBA basketball. Nevermind that its his career. I don't think he feels any special untoward pressure to 'fulfill' that contract or bust his butt getting better either. Maybe he thinks his previous play already earned him that, and that however casually his career proceeds from this point forward, that he is squared with the Bulls. I don't know. But I don't see much fire in Luol Deng to be a leader or even to desire great success with the Bulls. It might be a load off his shoulders that Derrick Rose is in town to take on the weight of the franchise, instead of him.

I would be really curious if Deng has maintained the diligent work ethic that used to be talked about with him and BG both. I know BG is still working hard, because K.C. mentioned it again in his latest 'keep Ben' piece, about how you always see him staying after to work on his shot. But Loul, we don't know.

[dougthonus]

There is no "morally".

Why not?

Are you arguing that all legal obligations and moral obligations in this world are harmonious with each other and the two never separate? I think what is legal and what is right frequently diverge. Often times by extraordinary amounts.

[DuckIII]

Loul Deng seems to have trust issues with the Bulls, the Bulls doctors, and anyone related with the NBA (i.e. Thorpe, who advised him against playing internationally). Compared to the grubby, greedy NBA, he probably views his participation with the GB team as somehow pure, untainted basketball, and noble in his purpose with it. Sometimes you just want to tell Deng to grow up.

But I have suggested before that this might be a guy that just doesn't place that much of priority in his life on NBA basketball. Nevermind that its his career. I don't think he feels any special untoward pressure to 'fulfill' that contract or bust his butt getting better either. Maybe he thinks his previous play already earned him that, and that however casually his career proceeds from this point forward, that he is squared with the Bulls. I don't know. But I don't see much fire in Luol Deng to be a leader or even to desire great success with the Bulls. It might be a load off his shoulders that Derrick Rose is in town to take on the weight of the franchise, instead of him.

I would be really curious if Deng has maintained the diligent work ethic that used to be talked about with him and BG both. I know BG is still working hard, because K.C. mentioned it again in his latest 'keep Ben' piece, about how you always see him staying after to work on his shot. But Loul, we don't know.

That entire post is a load of unsupportable, speculative hogwash without a shred of evidence to support any of it. And the underlined part is priceless. Luol Deng is probably one of the most "grown up" 23 year old professional athletes I've ever seen in my entire life.

[7thringsoon]

Wait cant the bulls force him not to play? don't some MLB teams force there players not to play in the WBC?