| Playing For A Paycheck Authored by Payam Jahromi - May 15, 2005 - 8:58 pm
Mike Dunleavy has more riding on the 2005-06 season than any other Warrior. The small forward, who will become a restricted free agent after next season, his fourth, has been involved in various trade rumors and scrutiny from critics and fans.
The Warriors could do what they did with Jason Richardson and Troy Murphy and give him an extension before this season, but that is unlikely.
With long contracts already committed to five players (Richardson, Murphy, Baron Davis, Derek Fisher and Adonal Foyle), and the fact that Dunleavy has been a question mark through his first three seasons, GM Chris Mullin likely wants to see if Dunleavy can become consistently productive before opening up Chris Cohan’s wallet.
Dunleavy is an intriguing player. He had his best season last year, averaging 13.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 45% from the field. He particularly benefited from Baron’s arrival, stepping up his game the last few months (even before Baron).
Depending on how you view the game of basketball, you’re either a big supporter or doubter of the former Duke standout. Supporters, such as Mullin, believe Dunleavy has gifted basketball instincts, a high basketball IQ and a great feel for the game who plays the right way.
Doubters counter that he’s too soft and passive, gets physically overpowered, disappears at times and is a liability on defense.
Truth is, both sides are correct. When he’s right, he is an asset on the court, makes good basketball decisions, plays unselfish and hits 3-pointers. When he’s not right, you often forget he’s on the court, having little to no impact on the game.
That’s his biggest problem and the one thing both sides can agree on – inconsistency.
The other factor that Mullin must consider is what Dunleavy’s role is on this team. Is his role to be an outside shooter or a point forward that gets everybody involved? Part of his inconsistency could be due to the lack of a defined role.
Some games he’ll grab 13 boards; some games he’ll score 25 and sometimes he’ll hit five 3’s. And some games he won’t do much of anything. Again, all could be attributed to a lack of a defined role.
For instance, everyone knows that Baron’s role is to run the team. Richardson’s is to score, Murphy’s is to rebound, Foyle’s is to rebound and block shots, etc… But if someone asked me what Dunleavy’s role is, I’d answer with something like “Well, he handles the ball, finds open guys, shoots the 3, drives….uh and other things too.”
Sounds like he’s just an all-around player – which is true. That sounds great on paper, but how consistent can one be with no specific expertise? Most small forwards specialize in one thing, even if they are all-around players. Scottie Pippen and Teyshuan Prince are similar players, but both were/are all-NBA defense players. No matter what they do offensively, you know what you’re getting on D. That’s where the consistency is.
Dunleavy has been compared to other players, including Peja and Dirk. But those guys have an expertise: to shoot and score the basketball. It’s hard to compare Dunleavy to any one player. He’s unique, and Mullin must determine if that’s a good or bad thing.
If Dunleavy wants a big contract, he must have a good first half of next season. The last two years, he’s been weak before the All-Star break and strong after. If he can put together a full year of consistent performance and continue to improve defensively, it may earn him a big paycheck with the Warriors next summer.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Mullin would like to re-sign Mike and have him as part of the core. The question is, for what price? For a guy who is not a star and has been criticized for his lack of passion, how much are you willing to pay him? Mickael Pietrus and Zarko Cabarkapa are anxious for more minutes and could be a better fit for this team.
If during negotiations, Mullin realizes that Dunleavy’s asking price is too high, will he be actively looking to work out a deal before next year’s trade deadline? Stay tuned.
I can be reached at pjahromi@sbcglobal.net. |
