GBR – Deng's 'D' hailed by coach Del Negro after fast Chicago start

CHICAGO (2010 FIBA World Championship) – Of all the absentees at the EuroBasket in Poland, perhaps none was more significant than Luol Deng of Great Britain.

With the Chicago Bulls forward in their line-up the previous two years, Chris Finch’s Brits won promotion from Division B to Division A and also qualified for the EuroBasket.

Without him in a Group C in Warsaw that included eventual gold-medal winners Spain, beaten finalists Serbia and semi-finalists Slovenia, the Brits were overmatched and lost all three games, though they nearly upset Spain in probably the most bizarre game of the tournament.

Britain, with mostly reserves on the floor, stormed back from an 18-point deficit to lead midway through the fourth quarter before falling to the 2006 FIBA World Championship winners, 84-76.

Even with Deng, who missed the event with a stress fracture in his lower leg, it would have been hard for Britain to win a game but there is no doubt his presence would have lifted the spirits of his teammates and made the team much more formidable.

The rest and rehabilitation from the stress fracture clearly did Deng a lot of good.

He has so far been one of the Chicago Bulls’ best players, particularly on defense, in their 4-2 start to the NBA season.

Team USA’s Carmelo Anthony, who is leading the NBA in scoring at more than 31 points per game, will be the man Deng must guard on Tuesday night when the Denver Nuggets visit the Windy City.

"We need Luol at both ends using his versatility, but especially his length and versatility defensively," Chicago coach Vinny Del Negro said.

"Melo can come out and shoot the ball well," Deng said.

"My job is to make it difficult on him and try to do whatever I can to help us get the win."

Deng was a frustrated player this summer and during the month of September when he had to miss Great Britain’s campaign.

Maybe, if the Brits receive one of four wild cards to play at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, he’ll have a chance to show everyone in Turkey what was missing from the British team at the EuroBasket in Poland.

FIBA