The Chicago Bulls are going to be without their superstar, point guard Derrick Rose, for a good deal of the 2012-2013 season. This hasn't deterred forward Luol Deng from going ahead and skipping surgery to be a key cog in Chicago's run for the upcoming season, but he's still aware of how difficult things may be:
It’s definitely going to be tough being without [Rose]. He is a big part of everything we do, he is such a huge player to miss that much time but he has got to take his time and come back the best he can be. We’ve lost some guys I really wish had stayed, who I’m friends with and close with. But it’s my ninth year and the roster has been different every year.
As Bulls fans know well, the team made significant moves this offseason to break up the vaunted "Bench Mob" that had been so crucial in the team's recent success. Between those moves and Rose's lengthy absence, Deng should be expecting a very different on-court experience in his third year playing under head coach Tom Thibodeau.
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