(Luol) Deng is the face of basketball in England, where he spent most of his childhood. He desperately wants to represent his country in the upcoming London games, and is unlikely to agree to having any type of surgical procedure before the games are completed.

There’s also the question of whether surgery will be absolutely necessary. Some ligaments will heal on their own over time, and doctors really aren’t sure how Luol’s wrist will look after going through the NBA playoffs and the Olympics. But if Deng does need surgery sometime in September, he could easily miss the first two months of the next NBA season, something that has to be troubling to Bulls’ management.

Nothing has been decided at this point, but it certainly puts even more importance on the Bulls’ upcoming playoff run. With Derrick Rose battling through an injury-plagued season (and also hoping to play in the Summer Olympics), and Deng possibly needing wrist surgery, the Bulls title window might not be as wide open as it looked just a few months ago.

Miami has looked vulnerable at times, and the West appears wide open, so the Bulls’ best chance at a title might be right now. If Rose and Deng were completely healthy, the Bulls would probably enter the postseason as favorites.

But now, injuries could play a critical role in deciding the next NBA champion, and the Bulls’ All-Stars might still be on the mend when the 2012-13 season tips off in November.

via Mark Schanowski of CSN Chicago