In January, Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose said about Luol Deng, “Lu is definitely going to make the All-Star team this year.  If he don’t, that would be cheating man.  It would be cheating for sure.”  Rose proved to be correct as Luol was named yesterday to this year’s All-Star Game, set for Feb. 26 in Orlando.

On the year, Deng is averaging 16.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.5 APG and 1.2 SPG while shooting 43.9% from the floor.  The Bulls lead the Eastern Conference with a 22-6 record and Chicago is 19-3 on the year in games in which Deng plays.  The former Blue Devil ranks second on the Bulls in scoring, third in rebounds, fourth in assists and first in steals.  The first British player ever named to the All-Star Game and the fourth among current Blue Devils in the NBA, Luol ranks fourth in the league in minutes played (38.0).

“If you value winning,” said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, “you appreciate all the things that he does.”

Said Deng, “It’s a great honor.  I’m really happy.  It’s good to see.  I don’t really have the words for it, except the fact that I’m really happy.  I just want to go around and thank all my teammates because I believe by the way we’re playing and the record we have, that’s why I’m getting the opportunity.”

REACTION…

“I thought it would happen.  The one thing about Lu, if you really look at his career each year he has been in the league he has gotten better and better.  That’s a sign of how serious he is, how he approaches the game.  He’s obviously a very well-rounded player.  There isn’t anything he doesn’t do well.  Obviously, he’s very significant for us in terms of us winning…. he’s invaluable.  There are so many intangibles he brings to our team — unselfishness, hard work, caring about nothing but winning and how he can help.  He’s a great teammate, very coachable and there’s nothing he doesn’t do well.  He plays great defense, he moves without the ball, he shares the ball, he can hit threes, he can put it on the floor, he slashes, he can post.  It’s his leadership, the way he approaches things every day, the example he sets, you can’t say enough about him.”
Tom Thibodeau

“Super happy [for him].  I told you I knew he was going to make it.  I was telling him that and he didn’t believe me, but with the way he’s been playing this year, he’s been consistent for us.  And he’s one of the leaders on the team.  He’s been doing a great job with that.”
Derrick Rose

“We have one of the best records in the league and he is a huge, huge part of it.”
Bulls teammate Kyle Korver

Most All-Stars in the NBA
Duke: 4 (Boozer, Brand, Hill, Deng)
UCLA: 3 (Davis, Love, Westbrook)
UConn: 3 (Allen, Butler, Hamilton)
UNC: 3 (Carter, Jamison, Stackhouse)
Wake Forest: 3 (Duncan, Howard, Paul)

*All-Star Selections by Blue Devils in the NBA: Hill- 7, Boozer- 2, Brand- 2, Deng- 1)

Kyrie had another outstanding game over the weekend, leading Cleveland to a win over Dallas with 20 points (9-17 FG), seven assists, four boards, two steals and just one turnover.  The young phenom scored his second game-winning layup in a week, too.

Wrote the AP, “One spectacular late-game layup in a week wasn’t enough for rookie Kyrie Irving.  So, the cool-as-ice kid dropped in another.  Irving made a driving layup in traffic with 15.8 seconds left — one similar to the shot he made last Sunday in Boston — to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a 91-88 win Saturday night over the Dallas Mavericks, who were unable to stop the 19-year-old sensation when it mattered most.”

“Big players make big plays,” said Mavericks guard Dalonte West.  ”Irving made some big plays down the stretch.”

Kyrie is averaging 22.8 PPG over his last four games and has helped Cleveland to a much improved winning percentage of .409.  Last season, the Cavs won just 19 times and finished with a winning percentage of .232.

“I just feel my teammates’ confidence going down the stretch,” Kyrie said after the win over Dallas.  ”They continue to give me the ball and they have the confidence in me to make the right play for myself and for them.  Once you have that confidence, it’s easy going into the fourth quarter.”

Here are highlights of the “Kyrie Show” against Dallas…

Luol Deng returned to the Chicago Bulls lineup after missing seven games with an injured wrist and showed no signs of rust, scoring 21 points and grabbing nine boards last night against Milwaukee.  The Bulls were 4-3 with Luol out of the lineup and are 16-3 on the year when Deng suits up.

On the season, Luol is averaging 16.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.2 SPG while ranking second in the league in minutes played (38.4).  Often tasked with guarding the opponent’s top scoring threat, Deng has left his mark on both ends of the floor this season.

“I thought he should’ve been (on the NBA’s All-Defense Team) last year,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.  ”He has great length and body control.  He challenges shots, keeps the ball in front.  He’s a very good individual defender and excellent team defender.”

Given Luol’s outstanding play and the success of the Bulls this season, Deng is certainly in the conversation for a spot in this year’s All-Star game in late February.

“Lu is definitely going to make the All-Star team this year,” said teammate Derrick Rose.  ”If he don’t, that would be cheating man.  It would be cheating for sure.”

“We know how important he is to the team,” stated Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau.  ”And he does it night in, night out.  Even the nights in which he doesn’t shoot the ball well he still does so many things that help you win.  He’s done everything for us.”

Luol and Jon Scheyer after Duke's win in Chicago in 2010

One game after scoring a career-high 32 points, Kyrie Irving scored the game-winning bucket at the Boston Garden with 2.6 seconds left to give his Cleveland Cavaliers an 88-87 win.  Kyrie scored 23 points in the game on 1o-of-14 shooting, leading the Cavs to a big-time comeback win.

“I told him to run a high pick and roll and just see what you can get,” said Cavs coach Byron Scott about Kyrie’s game-winning play.  “He had the look in his eyes like he wanted it anyway.  At that particular time, I wasn’t thinking about his age.  I was just thinking about how pretty damn good he is with the ball in his hands.”

Kyrie led the Cavs back in the fourth quarter, capping an impressive comeback with the drive and layup.  Cleveland was down by as many as 11 in the fourth quarter and scored the final 12 points of the game.  Kyrie scored eight of Cleveland’s 26 fourth-quarter points, missing just one field-goal attempt.

I thought he dominated the fourth quarter,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers (father of Austin!) of Kyrie.  ”He single-handily in my opinion willed that win for them.”

Here’s Kyrie’s game winner:

Kyrie Irving stars in an entertaining new commercial for ESPN’s NBA coverage.  Glad they found the young phenom so he can continue his impressive rookie campaign…

The Blue Devils remain on top in the NBA Fantasy League, leading UCLA by 464.8 points.  UNC, Kentucky and Texas rank third, fourth and fifth respectively.

Duke’s top producers so far this season have been Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Kyrie Irving.  The Blue Devil trio actually met in Cleveland last night, when the Bulls cruised past the Cavs 114-75.  Luol had 21 points and eight boards, Carlos went for 19 and 14 and Kyrie scored 13 points.

Mike Dunleavy and Corey Maggette remain sidelined due to injury and hope to return in the next few weeks.

About the Fantasy League: The Fantasy League awards points to former college players in the NBA, with each team consisting of a school’s college alums in the league.  Points are awarded for FGM, 3′s, points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks.  Players lose points for FGA and turnovers.

NBA Fantasy League Leaders
1. Duke: 4113.10
2. UCLA: 3648.30
3. UNC: 3368.10
4. Kentucky: 3359.2
5. Texas: 2708.20

NBA Fantasy League – Top Duke Performers
L. Deng: 581.90
C. Boozer: 549.70
K. Irving: 454.60
E. Brand: 434.30
G. Henderson: 415.50
J. Redick: 335.90

*Deng ranks sixth overall, trailing Kevin Love, Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Monroe and Russell Westbrook.

Kyrie Irving scored a career-high 26 points in just his ninth NBA game, leading Cleveland to a road win in Phoenix.  The Rookie of the Year candidate made 11 of his 17 shot attempts while dishing out six assists, grabbing three boards and collecting two steals.

Irving scored 12 straight points for the Cavs during one stretch in the second quarter, turning a four-point deficit into a six-point lead.  The Cavs led the rest of the way.

“He just went to work,” Cavs head Byron Scott said.  “He had some open shots he knocked down, some great drives to the basket he finished and I think everyone else started to feed off that.”

Two of Kyrie’s 26 came on the NBA’s top play of the night… (Gerald Henderson checked in at No. 6)

2009 Duke All-American Gerald Henderson had a strong finish at the rim in the Garden last night when he converted a powerful fast-break dunk.  The slam was among SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays of the Day, checking in at No. 10.  Gerald had 14 points, 4 boards and 3 assists in a loss to the Knicks.  Here’s the dunk:

Former Duke players will cash in on over $90 million in NBA salary this year, tops among college alumni groups.  Seven of Duke’s 15 NBA alums will bank over $6 million this season as the Blue Devils lead in NBA salary for the sixth time in eight years.  During the Coach K era, Duke alums have earned over $900 million in salary (most ever by a coach).

2011-12 could be one of the best years ever for Duke in the NBA with a school-record 15 alums playing in the league.  NBA Blue Devils are off to a good start so far.

NBA Salaries by School
1. Duke: $92.1 million
2. UConn: $78.8 million
3. Arizona: $57.4 million
4. Florida: $54.8 million
5. UNC: $50.8 million
*Salaries via Hoopsworld.com (player salaries with their current teams)

]]> http://blog.dukeblueplanet.com/2012/01/nba-devils-lead-in-salary/feed/ 0 http://blog.dukeblueplanet.com/2012/01/luol-nets-game-winner/ http://blog.dukeblueplanet.com/2012/01/luol-nets-game-winner/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:00:52 +0000 Dave Bradley http://blog.dukeblueplanet.com/?p=4840

Luol Deng continued his strong start to the 2011-12 season last night when he scored 21 points and grabbed 8 boards in a comeback win over Atlanta.  Deng also netted the game-winning bucket off a nice run to the rim and the play was No. 1 of the day according to NBA.com (see video below).  The 2004 lottery pick is averaging 17.7 PPG and 7.7 RPG so far this season.

Meanwhile, over in Cleveland, Kyrie Irving had the best game of his young career, scoring 20 points (8-10 FG), dishing out six assists and adding a pair of blocks.  One of the blocks is the No. 7 play in the NBA.com video below.  Kyrie and the Cavs got the win over Charlotte despite a combined 37 points by former Devils Corey Maggette (21 points) and Gerald Henderson (16 points).