Utah Jazz notebook: Deng big fan of Jazz basketball

LONDON — With Sudanese refugee Luol Deng being a naturalized British citizen, it's definitely Deng's Chicago Bulls getting top billing for tonight's NBA Europe Live 2009 preseason game here in London.

Their token opponent: the Utah Jazz.

But the Jazz do have at least one big fan in the United Kingdom.

That would be Deng himself — the son of a former Parliament member from war-torn Sudan whose family was granted political asylum in England.

"The Jazz definitely are one of my favorite teams, just in terms of how well they're coached and how professional that ballclub is," he said after practice Monday at London's O2 Arena.

The Jazz had sign-and-trade interest in Deng when he was a restricted free agent back in 2008, before the ex-Duke University small forward signed a six-year, $71 million-plus contract to stay with his first choice — the Bulls.

But there's no doubt that — if it ever happened — he would not at all mind a move to the Jerry Sloan-coached Jazz.

"The way the play, if you're really into basketball and just watch the offense and defense, and just the way they're moving, how disciplined it is, you could just tell how well they're coached," Deng said. "As a basketball fan, I really love watching them."

And the Brits love their adopted Deng.

"Loul Deng being from here, of course they're gonna support the Bulls," Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer said. "But I hope we get some love too. It can't be all Chicago."

Deng, meanwhile, is just happy to play an NBA game — even if it's preseason — in London.

"I can't believe," he said, "that when I'm done with you guys (reporters) my brother's gonna pick me up and I'm gonna go home and sit down with the family and have a game (today)."

BODY CLOCKS: Down at 9:30 p.m., up at 4 a.m., back down at 6, up at 9. Boozer said he had a tough time sleeping Sunday night, the Jazz's first in London.

Sloan rested well once he actually got to sleep, but because of a time change — London is seven hours ahead of Utah — he's having other issues.

"I'm having a difficult time trying to take my medication — trying to figure out what time of day to take it," the Jazz coach said. "It's thrown me off a little bit. I have to count backward."