# Luol Deng



## froggyvk (Sep 12, 2002)

What are your opinions?

25 points tonight...

Will he be a Corey Maggette-type player in terms of stats (20 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg) or possibly even better?


----------



## tpb2 (Oct 23, 2003)

I dont like him in the NBA. Grant Hill? No way. 

He's not that coordinated...shot isnt great....he's slow...his athletic ability will be average for the NBA...he's not a great ball handler...his court vision is good but not great...he doesnt pass the ball as much as he should 

He's tough inside at times...he makes the right play...fundamental passer...he has a pretty good touch around the basket...he seems to be an OK defender but I havent really paid attention to that

He'll be in the NBA. Anyone picking him in the top 10 is nuts.


----------



## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>tpb2</b>!
> I dont like him in the NBA. Grant Hill? No way.
> 
> He's not that coordinated...shot isnt great....he's slow...his athletic ability will be average for the NBA...he's not a great ball handler...his court vision is good but not great...he doesnt pass the ball as much as he should
> ...



Wow, I couldn't have said it any better.


----------



## Casual (Jun 2, 2003)

He's definitely faster and more atheletic than he looks during most of the game. You can tell on some plays. His jumper won't be as effective because he doesn't jump much with it, but he can hit shots.

He's a poor man's Grant Hill. Less athleticism and agility. But the talent is there.


----------



## RocketFan85 (Jun 8, 2003)

He is a Lamar Odom type player. Luol Deng till not be the #1 star on some team but he will be a very good #2 option.


----------



## MagnusPinus (Aug 27, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>RocketFan85</b>!
> He is a Lamar Odom type player. Luol Deng till not be the #1 star on some team but he will be a very good #2 option.


NO..Lamar has another talent..Deng seems pretty raw, but has good athleticism and more important a great defensive attitude..On offense is still quite unpolished but at 19 not all the guys are like Bron and Melo..so I think he will be good player, maybe all-star, but not immediately.


----------



## Coatesvillain (Jul 17, 2002)

If he declares, someone should send him to the Big Man Camp sometime between now and the start of next season, so he can work on his footwork. Every time he's in the post he travels.


----------



## Big John (Sep 11, 2002)

Let's not get carried away. Deng had a great night against UNC but earlier in the week against Georgia Tech he was terrible.


----------



## bruno34115 (Apr 14, 2003)

he seems quite slow.


----------



## Like A Breath (Jun 16, 2003)

I can't believe all the people that called him "LeBron James without the hype" before the season.  

I haven't seen anything special out of him. By special I mean court vision, hand speed, footspeed, leaping ability, or jumper. Right now he doesn't look like he could ever be an all-star. I'd imagine 10-5-3 during his rookie year somewhere if they are weak at the SF spot. I'd wager that his Blair Academy teammate Charlie V will be a better pro.

He needs to either jump before scouts catch on to his deficiencies(they are hidden by Duke's system) or work intensely on all aspects of his game. I wouldn't blame him for jumping if he were guaranteed a top-10 pick, though.


----------



## bruno34115 (Apr 14, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Like A Breath</b>!
> I can't believe all the people that called him "LeBron James without the hype" before the season.
> 
> I haven't seen anything special out of him. By special I mean court vision, hand speed, footspeed, leaping ability, or jumper. Right now he doesn't look like he could ever be an all-star. I'd imagine 10-5-3 during his rookie year somewhere if they are weak at the SF spot. I'd wager that his Blair Academy teammate Charlie V will be a better pro.
> ...


i couldnt agree with you more. if he enters which i hope he dosent he will be a lottery pick. i think he should stay another year or two become the go to guy, and really work hard this offseason on his speed and shot. he needs to develope some consistancy.


----------



## LionOfJudah (May 27, 2003)

If he's so good he should be able to pull a Melo in this years NCAA tournament and lead his team to a NCAA championship. I doubt he does tho. IMO he should stick around atleast for another year. He makes some great plays but I doubt he'd be able to do the same in the NBA anytime soon.


----------



## froggyvk (Sep 12, 2002)

So it seems the general consensus on this board is that Deng is not good enough to be a great player. We all say he lacks athleticism, and doesn't have a great shot. Scouts and GM's all over the NBA are drooling over this prospect. Where will he go in the draft, why, and will he perform to be worthy of that pick?


----------



## RSP83 (Nov 24, 2002)

If he's like what you guys said.. then why a lot of scouts and GM's are high on him? is there something that we don't know? is there something that we overlook in Deng?


----------



## The Krakken (Jul 17, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>RSP83</b>!
> If he's like what you guys said.. then why a lot of scouts and GM's are high on him? is there something that we don't know? is there something that we overlook in Deng?


Simply put, most people in this thread don't know what they are talking about. If Deng were that bad, Coach K wouldn't have gone after him, he wouldn't be starting, and he wouldn't be freshman of the year in the ACC or COuntry (he's likley to win both awards). Is he as good as lebron?? Not likely right now, but NOBODY who has posted in this thread has any inkling of how he's gonna turn out.

Let me ask you something. Can you name the freshman who have *started* an entire season for Coach K in the last 10 years??

Hes not yet a stud, but he will be. Anybody who thinks otherwise is smoking too much of that stuff...:yes:

EDIT: Deng looks slower than he really is, because he is slowed down by his inconsistent handle....not his athleticism.

If he ever gets comfortable dribbling the ball, then its over.


----------



## Ballyhoo (May 30, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>The Krakken</b>!
> Let me ask you something. Can you name the freshman who have *started* an entire season for Coach K in the last 10 years??


Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer, JJ Redick, and Dahntay Jones all started at least 30 games as freshmen. It's a nice accomplishment, but no guarantee of studhood.


----------



## The Krakken (Jul 17, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Ballyhoo</b>!
> 
> 
> Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer, JJ Redick, and Dahntay Jones all started at least 30 games as freshmen. It's a nice accomplishment, but no guarantee of studhood.


Wrong, wrong, right, and wrong.

On that list, only boozer started even 25 games as a freshman. Williams started the season on the bench, and worked his way into the starting lineup by midseason. Reddick was benched midway through last season and taken out, because of his defensive lapses, and Dahntay Jones was a Junior when he arrived at Duke (He transferred).

Try again.:laugh:


----------



## Ballyhoo (May 30, 2003)

Oops, my mistake on Jones, didn't notice he was a transfer. 

Redick started 30 of 33 games last year.
Williams started 34 of 34 games as a freshman.
Boozer started 30 of 34 games.


----------



## The Krakken (Jul 17, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Ballyhoo</b>!
> Oops, my mistake on Jones, didn't notice he was a transfer.
> 
> Redick started 30 of 33 games last year.
> ...


Really.....I stand corrected.


----------



## patticus (Jan 4, 2004)

he looked plenty good against xavier, although the announcers gotta get off his dick for that 'look off' play which was just a stupid gamble by the defender


----------



## Kreamrush (Mar 24, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>The Krakken</b>!
> 
> Let me ask you something. Can you name the freshman who have *started* an entire season for Coach K in the last 10 years??


boozer is a very good nba player, reddick is still a pretty good prospect, and jay williams may have been great but we'll never know.

-Booby Hurley started 38 out of 38 games and would have been a nice nba point IMO
-Grant Hill started 31 out of 36 games and is a would be elite nba player
-Brand started 18 out of 21 games he played and is an elite NBA player
-Johnny Dawkins started all 28 games as a freshman and is borderline hall of fame (or is he in?)

so perhaps it is a good barometer of success. After all Coach K isn't exactly a bad talent evaluator.


----------



## sov82 (Nov 5, 2003)

*Talent*

Coack K a good talent judge?

I think his computer opens to http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/ when he turns it on. Its not like Coach K goes out and recruits anyone but the top 40 recruits in the nation (unless they want to be the offical Duke Bench Cheerleaders).

There are many coaches who do a much better job finding lower ranked players who turn into stars.


----------



## Kreamrush (Mar 24, 2004)

*Re: Talent*



> Originally posted by <b>sov82</b>!
> Coack K a good talent judge?
> 
> I think his computer opens to http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/ when he turns it on. Its not like Coach K goes out and recruits anyone but the top 40 recruits in the nation (unless they want to be the offical Duke Bench Cheerleaders).
> ...


so what? if anything that makes him a better talent judge because he goes out and finds great players who aren't listed as a top 40 by some joke website or jackass who doesn't know anything. coach k gets players who can ball (obviously or they wouldn't be this good) and does it with his own eyes as well as his scouts.


----------



## Kreamrush (Mar 24, 2004)

whoops, read your post incorrectly, sorry bout that


----------



## sov82 (Nov 5, 2003)

*K*

He is defintely doing something right to get the players he gets but I wouldn't call him a great judge of talent. Duke has been notrious for having McDonald's All Americans turn into benchwarmers and/or leave the school.


----------



## bruno34115 (Apr 14, 2003)

I am going to have to take back my previous assesment of Luol Deng. After watching him the last 7-8 I truely see why the scouts are drooling over this guy. He can drive, post up, and hit the pull up jump shot. Grant Hill, no i dont see the comparisn but i think Luol can be special in this league.


----------



## Coatesvillain (Jul 17, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>bruno34115</b>!
> I am going to have to take back my previous assesment of Luol Deng. After watching him the last 7-8 I truely see why the scouts are drooling over this guy. He can drive, post up, and hit the pull up jump shot. Grant Hill, no i dont see the comparisn but i think Luol can be special in this league.


I'm in the same exact boat as you, when I watched him earlier this year I watched him play and I didn't know what was so special. Now after watching him more and more, I'm picking up things he's doing that I didn't see at first, and I'm basically in love with the guy's game. Even though I'm not a Duke fan, I would love to see Shaun Livingston go to college so he can play beside Deng and both players can increase their stock together, but I doubt that will happen.


----------



## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

to me he didnt have the stuff to get it done last night against uconn, i like him as a pro but he would be better off coming back for another year.


----------



## Nimreitz (May 13, 2003)

Nah, that wasn't Luol's fault at all. The ball was (stupidly) in J.J. Redick's hands at the end of the game instead of Deng's or Duhon's.


----------



## BearcatMax54 (Jan 4, 2004)

Luol Deng is overrated. All of Dukes players are overrated as in Pro status .... I wouldnt draft any of them on this years team ... Williams an undersized center that proved his worth last night against a team with pretty good height ... Redick and Ewing are undersized two guards ... Randolph might be a decent pro ... Deng will be a solid pro but no superstar .... He came in as the next Anthony ... hes been overrated ever since he stepped foot on campus ... hes solid but not superstar material IMO

Duhon? Draft him = worst pick of 2004. Unless he can start hitting jumpers


----------



## jokeaward (May 22, 2003)

Were Redick and Randolph on those lists? And Coach K should recruit the top players, not avoid them to please anyone.

Deng led Duke basically least night as a freshman. They almost beat the biggest of all dogs nd it was very close. It's hard to say Duke is stacked when their shooting isn't great and the big men just inhale fouls. UConn is one of the biggest teams I've seen and they've got the perimeter game. But he almost did pull a Melo.

I'm not sold that Deng will be an NBA star, but he's got what it takes. Pretty much. People doubted Wade, I doubted Hinrich, etc.


----------



## bruno34115 (Apr 14, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>BearcatMax54</b>!
> Luol Deng is overrated. All of Dukes players are overrated as in Pro status .... I wouldnt draft any of them on this years team ... Williams an undersized center that proved his worth last night against a team with pretty good height ... Redick and Ewing are undersized two guards ... Randolph might be a decent pro ... Deng will be a solid pro but no superstar .... He came in as the next Anthony ... hes been overrated ever since he stepped foot on campus ... hes solid but not superstar material IMO
> 
> Duhon? Draft him = worst pick of 2004. Unless he can start hitting jumpers


None of them other than Deng and maybe Randolph have much pro potential and nobody is raving over them being such great pros (other than Deng).


----------



## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>BearcatMax54</b>!
> Luol Deng is overrated. All of Dukes players are overrated as in Pro status .... I wouldnt draft any of them on this years team ... Williams an undersized center that proved his worth last night against a team with pretty good height ... Redick and Ewing are undersized two guards ... Randolph might be a decent pro ... Deng will be a solid pro but no superstar .... He came in as the next Anthony ... hes been overrated ever since he stepped foot on campus ... hes solid but not superstar material IMO
> 
> Duhon? Draft him = worst pick of 2004. Unless he can start hitting jumpers


i see deng as a quality 3 at the next level but he's a couple of years away from being a regular.
williams is undersized. i like ewing in the pros and shavlik randolph if he can keep his mobility as he adds bulk could be the best of the bunch.


----------



## jokeaward (May 22, 2003)

Shelden Williams is undersized? What?


----------



## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>jokeaward</b>!
> Shelden Williams is undersized? What?


undersized in not being tall for the position, carlos boozer came in at about 6-7 3/4 barefoot at the chicago camp before the draft and he has done very well but williams i dont think is as good as boozer.


----------



## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>bruno34115</b>!
> 
> 
> None of them other than Deng and maybe Randolph have much pro potential and nobody is raving over them being such great pros (other than Deng).


I agree. People are being a bit harsh on Deng. He has a chance to be very good player in the NBA. I see him as maybe a two or three time All-Star in his career and a solid starting SF. That's not bad.

Other than Deng, I dont think anyone is saying Duhon, Ewing, Redick, Randolph, or Williams are going to take over the league. 

As an Orlando fan, I'd love to see Duhon drafted. He plays great defense, is a great leader, and makes big plays in big games. 

I wouldnt mind having Redick as a sharpshooter off the bench. Maybe a younger version of Jon Barry. Great shooter and very emotional, which can really help a team.

Williams I dont see as a good pro.

Randolph I think could develop into a nice player. I see him staying all 4 years and leaving as a first round pick. Maybe a good backup PF in the league.


----------



## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>jokeaward</b>!
> Were Redick and Randolph on those lists? And Coach K should recruit the top players, not avoid them to please anyone.
> 
> Deng led Duke basically least night as a freshman. They almost beat the biggest of all dogs nd it was very close. It's hard to say Duke is stacked when their shooting isn't great and the big men just inhale fouls. UConn is one of the biggest teams I've seen and they've got the perimeter game. But he almost did pull a Melo.
> ...


duke is in a pretty unique situation as to who they can go out and get but they dont get everyone they want, some guys that they would be favorites for go to the pros out of highschool. they seem to bring in a big group every 3 years or so, go back to the brand,battier,burgess,magette group then fast forward a few years to the jaywill,boozer,dunleavy group and now they are going into the 3rd year of the williams,randolph,redick group. look for a big class in 2005 where they already have commits from couple of top 10 types.


----------



## Kezersoze (Mar 3, 2004)

Deng needs another year at Duke to improve.


----------



## jokeaward (May 22, 2003)

Williams looks like one of the biggest and tallest players in CBB. I guess he might be only 6'9", but he's still big.


----------



## Nimreitz (May 13, 2003)

I love Sheldon Williams, I think he could be an exact copy of Boozer at the pro level.


----------



## Kreamrush (Mar 24, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>Nimreitz</b>!
> I love Sheldon Williams, I think he could be an exact copy of Boozer at the pro level.


Boozer seemed a much smarter player than Williams is today. Williams averaged something like 3.5 fouls per game. 3.5 pfpg!! He also fouled out of 5 games altogether, if i'm not mistaken. Thats crazy.

Boozer shot 63% from the field in his career at duke while Williams shot 58% this year which is 30 points worse than Boozer's worst college year and 80 points worse than his best.

What reason do you have for saying this? Just because they both play/played forward at duke?


----------



## Nimreitz (May 13, 2003)

Well, yes partly because they both played forward at Duke, but also because they are both incredible rebounders.

I agree that Williams looks a little more mechanical and slower than Boozer though, just not as much of a natural.


----------



## RocketFan85 (Jun 8, 2003)

I'm a big Deng fan. I think he has a bright future ahead of him. I'd like to see him stay one more year at Duke and win it all next year and be the #1 overall pick. I don't think he has even come close to reaching his potential yet.


----------



## CMC (Aug 14, 2003)

Deng reminds me of Donyell Marshall without the wingspan.


----------



## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>RocketFan85</b>!
> I'm a big Deng fan. I think he has a bright future ahead of him. I'd like to see him stay one more year at Duke and win it all next year and be the #1 overall pick. I don't think he has even come close to reaching his potential yet.


he would probably be drafted in the same place this year as next. 3-5


----------

