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Luol Deng ready to get back on the court
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Deng is anxious to help the team win
Injuries.
A player's worst nightmare.
Not only a setback to the body, but in professional sports, where contracts are in the millions, fans want results, they can have an affect on the psyche, as well.
Luol Deng has been unfortunate enough to have two injury plagued seasons and the timing of the seasons didn't help.
The 2007-08 season, Deng missed 19 games and during the summer, the Bulls gave him a six-year $71 million deal, that placed expectations longer than Sudan's prodigal sons arms, and during last season, with fans already not happy with how much he's been giving, he started off slow and the injury bug hit him again, causing 33 missed games, 40, if you count the playoffs.
He had almost become a forgotten man, once John Salmons came over from Sacramento and seamlessly gelled with the offense.
Watching his team win, make it to the playoffs and lose without his help, made thing go into this summer extra focused.
Of course, with training camp starting and the grueling two-a-day practices, most want to know how Deng will be monitored.
"I think we'll be a little cautious with him," said coach Vinny Del Negro. "Probably with Brad Miller, probably with Jannero Pargo coming back from injury and also with John (Salmons.)
"Sometimes, you can't avoid injuries. You have to put your work in order to play at a high level in games, you have to put your work in at practice. To get your conditioning, timing, terminology and concepts down. But, we're going to monitor that and hopefully, we can stay away from as many injuries as possible."
Deng has been working extremely hard this summer to not only forget about how the last two seasons have played out, but to get back to the form of potential All-Star.
With a game as diverse as the UN, fans our hoping Deng delivers and he can't wait to get back on the floor.
"I feel great," Deng said. "About a month ago, or so, I got a pass. I started working out, trying to do as best as I can to get in shape. I been coming in here playing pickup with the guys. I'm just real happy to be back and I'm real excited for the season to get going."
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