2 Bulls All-Stars 1/24/13
By: Scott Leber
Updated: January 24, 2013
The NBA announced today that
Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah and forward Luol Deng have been selected as
reserves for the 2013 Eastern Conference All-Star Team.
For Deng this marks his second
straight All-Star appearance. He was also selected last year as a reserve for
the Eastern Conference. In his ninth season with the Bulls, he is averaging
17.4 ppg (team-high), 6.4 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.08 spg, 39.8 mpg (career-high; ranks
first in the NBA) and shooting .442 from the field, .340 from downtown and .818
from the free throw line. Deng has led
Noah, in his sixth season with
the Bulls, is averaging 12.2 ppg (career-high), 10.9 rpg, 4.0 apg
(career-high), 2.08 bpg (career-high), 1.33 spg (career-high) in 38.3 mpg
(career-high). He is shooting .453 from the field and .769 from the free throw
line (career-high). On the season, he currently has 20 double-doubles (fourth
in East and nine in the NBA) and 14 games with five-plus assists.
"I'm extremely excited to be
recognized as an All-Star for the first time," said Chicago Bulls center Joakim
Noah. "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."
For the Bulls this marks the
seventh time that two or more players have been selected to the All-Star team
in the same year. Last season, Derrick Rose stared for the East, while Luol
Deng came off the bench. The 62nd NBA All-Star Game will be played
at the
