Johnson: 'Have To Admire Deng's Decision'
(WSCR) Even with a torn ligament in his left hand, Luol Deng continues to suit up for the Bulls.
Rather than have surgery to repair the ligament, Deng has elected to play through the pain. In his first two games back, he's scored 21 and 19 points in the Bulls' two wins.
"It's really just a pain-tolerance thing," K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune told The McNeil and Spiegel Show. "You have to admire his decision to try and play through this without having the surgery. He's been told that there are some instances where this has healed on its own eventually. He's also been told that he can't make it worse. The ligament has already torn.
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Johnson said Deng has been playing as if he was pain-free since his return to the Bulls.
"Obviously the way he shot the ball coming out of the gate last night was spectacular. I've noticed he's been shooting more 3s since he returned. I know it's only been two games, but he has seemed to kind of fall in love with that 3-ball shot. But yeah, with 13 points in the first quarter last night, that's absolutely phenomenal."
