Neutral: Luol Deng, SF
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
High expectations and the injury-bug continue to be a burden on Luol Deng’s performance.
The apparent heir to LeBron James, Deng has struggled to find his shooting touch from behind the arc. Deng is shooting a putrid 20-percent from three and is averaging a 13 points per game. After careful study, majority of Deng’s points have come inside the paint, where he has been found on cuts.
Deng was thought to be a consolation prize in free agency, but Stephen Babb of Bleacher Report believes that Deng is a perfect fit in the Heat’s new offense.
"Early signs are encouraging. Deng isn’t just good; he’s a good fit. The team still belongs to Wade and big man Chris Bosh in most meaningful respects. But Deng is the kind of complementary asset who can succeed within Spoelstra’s system, taking advantage of the touches coming his way through the natural flow and movement of the offense."
The shooting touch will come, and so will the chemistry, but for now, Deng is neutral with a high probability to fall if he can’t find his rhythm soon.