Deng consulted Kerr on spinal fluid leak

Miami forward Luol Deng lent support to Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who returned to the sideline a few days ago after missing the first half of the season due to a spinal-fluid leak.

"I spoke to Steve," Deng said before Monday's game at the United Center. "He gave me a phone call to ask about it. I told him - there are probably worse things - but it was the worst thing I've ever been through. I just told him to take his time (coming back).

"I remember when I went through it, it took me awhile to get back to playing. Even just living my normal lifestyle, it really took awhile, because you get headaches randomly, throw up randomly. Your body was just off balance, and the worst thing was the migraines. … I had asthma, which I didn't have before."

The longtime Bulls forward had his own spinal-fluid issue in 2013, when he missed seven playoff games. Kerr lost spinal fluid during back surgery. Deng's problem stemmed from a spinal tap, given to test for meningitis.

As he reflected on that time, Deng wished he would have gotten more support from the Bulls.

"I think that summer really kind of was toward the end where I was, 'I just can't take it anymore,' in terms of how the whole situation went down," he said. "I think people afterward understood what I was going through.

"But just going through that after being here for so long, it was tough. I'd been here since I was 19 and at the time it happened, I think I was 27 or 28 and there were some questions about, 'Was he really sick?'

"By then, I was just like I didn't care. Enough was enough. I don't want to go back there. I have a lot of good memories (of his Bulls years). I always feel like I try to keep on the positive side."

There was another injury-related controversy when Deng missed the end of the 2008 season with a stress fracture in his shin and the Bulls questioned whether he should keep playing.

Deng joined the Bulls on draft night 2004 and stayed until he was traded to Cleveland on Jan. 7, 2014. He still ranks fourth on the Bulls' all-time scoring list behind Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Bob Love.

Even though he has been gone more than two years, this was just the second game for Deng back in Chicago because of how the schedules worked out.

Deng schools Butler:

Even though he left the Bulls under unhappy circumstances, Miami's Luol Deng said he still finds himself rooting for his old team and took some credit for Jimmy Butler's rise to all-star level.

Deng said he and former Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin used to bring Butler to the Berto Center at night for extra shooting.

"We'd always drag him early to come to the gym," Deng said. "I always ask him the question, 'Are you still coming early?' And he's still doing the same drills. I watch him warm up, still similar warmups. It makes me really happy to see that.

"He's figured out ways to score, whether you run sets for him or not. It starts with the slashing and cutting. He developed his jump shot. He's doing lot of reading the game without the ball. He's very good on the weak side. He has a high IQ."

Bull horns:

Guard E'Twaun Moore was out Monday with a right hamstring strain. … Kirk Hinrich missed his fifth straight game with a left-quad contusion. … Jimmy Butler started the night as the leading scorer in the Eastern Conference during the month of January, with 25.8 points per game.