Flickr | Keith Allison

In usual Woj fashion the All-Star reserves were leaked before their official announcement on TNT’s Inside The NBA pregame show, and to no surprise your favorite center made the cut. The 28 year-old center will be making his 2nd all star game appearance after his introduction to the All-Star stage.

There’s was no doubt that the coaches would select Noah as one of the East’s best players. He’s playing some of the best basketball of his career and has really taken control of this team since Deng was traded. According to basketball-reference he’s posting the 2nd best PER mark of his career at 19.1 and tied his career high in individual defensive rating — not the best measure for defense but still. The Bulls have  also sported a +9.8 net rating with Noah on the court in the month of January.

Joakim is one of the best centers in the league and he’s continued to prove that this season.   He’s been great and definitely deserves the invite to New Orleans.

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Deng will be making his second straight trip to the ASG. He’s currently averaging 17.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists with a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 15.2. He currently leads the league in minutes per game (39.8).

This will be Noah’s first All-Star appearance. He’s averaging career-highs in points (12.2), assists (4.0), blocks (2.1) and steals (1.3) to go with 10.9 rebounds per game. Noah is second on the Bulls in PER (16.9) and first in Win Shares (4.4).  League-wide, he ranks ninth in minutes per game (38.3), eighth in blocks per game, eighth in total blocks (83), seventh in rebounds per game, seventh in total rebounds (435), seventh in total offensive rebounds (152), sixth in Defensive Rating (96.7) and second in Defensive Win Shares (3.2).

Noah said (via press release): “I’m extremely excited to be recognized as an All-Star for the first time. It’s more of a team honor than an individual honor, because it would not have been possible without my teammates and coaches. I look forward to representing my teammates and the Bulls organization during All-Star Weekend.”

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After years of hard work and dedication to his craft — during which his contributions have been largely unappreciated outside of (and sometimes inside of) Chicago — Luol Deng has been selected as a reserve on the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

A few days ago, I said there wasn’t a solid statistical argument for Lu to make the team, even though I really wanted him to make it because he’s such a valuable player to the Bulls. In that argument, I listed raw numbers and several advanced metrics. However, I missed something that may have been pretty important. Something that was pointed out to me via e-mail by TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott.

Henry wrote:

A case for Deng would be built largely on defense, which nobody charts individually. Those defensive metrics you cite try to extrapolate from opponents’ performance, but you and I both know in a Thibodeau system there’s so much switching and helping that that is imperfect.

Also, you say no stat can capture every little thing. But I disagree. The score does. If you’re helping the team, you’re helping the team, you know?

All of that is in plus/minus. The problem is not that it misses stuff. It’s that it captures other stuff too, and is noisy, especially early in the season.

But if you’re saying somebody is not such a great defender for this team, I don’t know if the defensive metrics you cite matter or not. They might. But I’d sure double-check them against the plus/minus. … which suggests Deng is indeed elite.

Among Bulls who have played at least 500 minutes, nobody has been on the floor when the team got better results. (Taj is up there, but the shorter the minutes, the wackier the plus/minus.)

But look at Luol! You can go back in time. They have been very very good with him on the floor, and not nearly as good with him off.

Compare those numbers to a lot of other players, or other SFs, and I think it’s easy to say that Deng is likely an elite player. Maybe an All-Star.

Henry wanted me to make it clear that he hadn’t gotten a chance to research this topic in detail. He was only suggesting that there were additional factors — an plus/minus in particular — to consider when trying to decide whether Deng was statistically worthy of an All-Star berth. And in terms of plus-minus…Luol definitely deserves to make the team.

Of course, that’s all moot, because Lu is an All-Star now. The coaches have made sure of that.

And it’s a well-deserved honor no matter how you look at it.

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No.

Now, before I get to my long answer, let me make it clear that I love Luol Deng as a basketball player and readily acknowledge that he is an indispensable member of the Bulls.

That said, I can’t see any legitimate argument for adding him to the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

There are plenty of people who disagree with me. ESPNChicago’s Nick Friedell. Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald. Mark Schanowski of CSNChicago. Josh Hill of Pippen Ain’t Easy. And, of course, his superstar teammate and reigning MVP Derrick Rose.

Last month, Rose said: “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.”

The sentiment is understandable. Deng is a high-character player who has played consistently well for several years with relatively little fanfare. Now he’s a crucial component of a team that has won a lot of regular season games over the past two years.

This should be his time. Right?

Well, I guess it depends on your definition of All-Star. To me, an All-Star is one of the best players in the league, or, at the very least, one of the best at his position. I think it’s safe to say Deng isn’t among the league’s truly elite players. So how does he rank among small forwards?

Let’s crunch the numbers.

Deng is averaging 16.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 2.4 APG while shooting 44 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from three-point range.

To put things in perspective, Deng ranks third amonth small forwards in rebounding, eighth in scoring, and 11th in assists. He’s 20th in field goal percentage and 22nd in three-point percentage.

Now let’s talk advanced stats (courtesy of ESPN’s John Hollinger).

Among, small forwards, Lu currently ranks 12th in Player Efficiency Rating (16.59), behind guys like Atlanta’s Marvin Williams, and Indiana’s Danny Granger.

He ranks 11th in Value Added (69.4), which is “the estimated number of points a player adds to a team’s season total above what a ‘replacement player’ (for instance, the 12th man on the roster) would produce.”

He is also 11th in Estimated Wins Added (2.3), which is “the estimated number of wins a player adds to a team’s season total above what a ‘replacement player’ would produce.”

Now, let’s look at his statistical worth to the Bulls, via Basketball-Reference.

Tossing out part-time players like Jimmy Butler and Mike James, Luol ranks fifth on the team in PER behind Rose (25.1), C.J. Watson (21.3), Carlos Boozer (20.4), and Joakim Noah (17.2).

He’s sixth in Offensive Rating (106) behind Kyle Korver (122), Watson (117), Rose (116), Noah (112), and Boozer (110).

He’s tied with Taj Gibson for fourth in Defensive Rating (98), behind Omer Asik (93), Boozer (95), and Noah (96).

He’s fourth in Win Shares (2.4), behind Rose (4.1), Boozer (3.3), and Noah (2.8).

And he’s sixth in Win Shares Per 48 Minutes (.148), behind Rose (.246), Watson (.235), Boozer (.196), Noah (.181), and Korver (.165).

Statistically speaking, Deng is not among the best small forwards in the league, nor is he even the second-best player on the Bulls in any advanced metric.

Heck, you could make a reasonable statistical arguement that C.J. Watson has been better and more important to the Bulls this season.

Now, listen, I will be the very first person to tell you that stats — even the advanced ones — don’t truly measure a player’s worth. Especially within the context of his own team. Nor do they give a sense of the intangibles that Deng brings to the table.

Said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau: “He’s not overlooked by his coaches and his teammates. We know how important he is to the team. 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.”

I’m not disagreeing with Thibs at all. He’s definitely one of the Bulls key players. One of. As in, among others. Among several others, all of whom are making critical contributions to a very successful team.

Deng is a good player and, by all accounts, a great person. Personally, I would love to see his consistent effort recognized with an All-Star nod. It would be a nice reward for years of hard work and team-oriented play.

But, if you want to pick nits, Deng is not one of the best players in the league. Among the league’s best small forwards, he’s hovering closer to the bottom of the top ten than he is the top. And his tangible contributions to his team are solid but not really at the All-Star level, unless you count intangibles.

Yes, Deng is the “glue” of the Bulls, but All-Star teams don’t really feature glue guys. They feature the best of the best. And, as good as I think Deng is, and I think he’s very good, I just don’t think he’s among the best of the best.

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If you’re a Bulls fan, this wasn’t the Rose you know and love. At times, he looked like he simply wanted to defer to his teammates, let them do the heavy lifting, while he stood back and enjoyed the show. Other times, he looked overly cautious on offense and simply lost on defense.

He became a little more intense in the second half. But the Derrick we saw against San Antonio last Thursday apparently got left behind in Chicago. I’m fine with it. That’s where he belongs.

Hey, fans love it when their favorite player dominates the All-Star Game. I’m sure Lakers fans are feeling pretty good today, what with Kobe going crazy (37 points and 14 rebounds) and winning the MVP award. And Heat fans probably feel almost the same, what with LeBron racking up the second triple-double (29 points, 12 boards, 10 assists) in ASG history, although they might feel a little queasy over D-Wade’s ankle tweak.

But we all know the All-Star Game is a glorified exhibition where the only things on the line are bragging rights and reputation. But Rose cares not for these things. He wants to win. And the Bulls are his top priority.

So if he seemed to be going at half-speed during the Skills Competition, or if he was mostly a highly skilled spectator during much of his 30 minutes of action last night, I’m willing to forgive him.

Save it for the second half of the season, Derrick.

We all know what kind of season Rose is having. And check out what Celtics coach Doc River had to say about Rose and the Bulls: “If I had to vote, [Rose is] the MVP of the league. And when you have one on your team, especially with all the other guys, they’re right in there. They can beat us; we can beat them. It’s going to be tough.”

Of course, Rivers doesn’t have a vote, and, as of right now, history seems to be firmly against the Rose-as-MVP talk. But, again, I’m fine with that. All-Star Games and MVP awards are nice. Championships are nicer.

Which do you think is most important to Rose?

As for those, uhm, interesting yellow shoes Derrick wore during the game? According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the shoes, along with his blue uniform, were a tribute to his alma mater, the Simeon Wolverines. 

Said Rose: “That was a shout-out to them.”

And, apparently, Rose got needled about them by his All-Star teammates “the whole game. ‘Why’d adidas put you in those shoes?’ Stuff like that. It was all fun and games. I love the shoes. They’re my shoes. I’d wear them all the time if I could, but they have to be your team colors.”

Speaking of team colors, the Bulls return to action on Wednesday in Toronto. The next night, they have a homecourt showdown with the Heat before another five-game road trip that ends in Miami. Life won’t get any easier any time soon…even with Joakim Noah returning from thumb surgery.

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“Derrick Rose will be the first Chicago Bull since Michael Jordan to start an NBA All-Star Game. Starters were announced Thursday for the Feb. 20 game to be played in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. Rose joins fellow Chicago native Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat as the Eastern Conference’s starting backcourt. They will be joined in the East’s starting lineup by forwards LeBron James of the Heat and Amare Stoudemire of the New York Knicks. The Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard, the leading vote-getter in the conference with nearly 2.1 million will start at center.”

Chicago’s first All-Star starter since MJ. Man, it’s been a while.

It’s a great accomplishment for Rose, especially considering he’s not even the best player on his own team and in fact pales in comparison to Landry Fields. According to some people.

Said Rose (via statement): “I’m feeling really loved right now, and I appreciate all the support that helped me earn a starting position in the All-Star Game. I want to thank all the fans that voted, especially the people from my hometown of Chicago. I also want to give thanks to the Bulls organization that did a great job promoting me, and most of all I want to thank my teammates and coaches for putting me in this position.”

Of course, when pressed, he was his typical understated self.

Added Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau (but before the announcement): “I think it’s recognition for the job he’s done this year. All-Star Games, those are great, and he’s certainly earned it, but I’m concerned with what he’s done for our team. And he’s done a lot for the team. He’s lifted this team up. We still have a long way to go the second half of the season, so the test continues after the midpoint. But I’m happy for him.”

Rose may have needed the good news considering his recent back woes and the two stomach ulcers he’s been dealing with. No more spicy food, Derrick!

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And relief washes over me in an awesome wave.

Of course, that leads into the next question: Will Rose — the first Bulls player to make the Eastern Conference All-Star team since Michael Jordan did it waaaay back in 1998 — actually play in the All-Star Game? Or defend his Skills Challenge title, for that matter?

It’s still up in the air. But we do know Rose is going to Dallas, and NBA spokesman Tim Frank said there’s no deadline for Rose to decide whether he’ll able to participate: “The guy earned his chance to be here, and we want to give him every chance to play. I wouldn’t say we have a contingency plan, but I’m sure [NBA vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson] has a list of players who he could replace someone with if someone can’t participate. We’re optimistic he’ll be here.”

Rose was pretty geeked about being named an All-Star. Unless he’s hurt really, really badly — and it doesn’t sound like that’s the case — my guess is he’s going to play.

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A very well-deserved honor for Rose, who is Chicago’s first All-Star since Michael Jordan. Too bad Joakim Noah couldn’t join him on the team.

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