It's time for Mike Dunleavy to get going for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Forward Mike Dunleavy has been a consummate professional in his 14-year NBA career, but things haven’t gone quite as planned for him in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform.
The Cleveland Cavaliers brought in Dunleavy to add depth to their rotation in providing another three-point threat with size on the perimeter. He had also been a bit of a thorn in their side for the last few years as a Chicago Bull, making some clutch shots and playing sound defense.
Dunleavy has been a consistent performer on the court, and a model teammate in every locker room he has been in. Those are generally attributes a coaching staff is looking for.
Nonetheless, he has not performed up to standards thus far as a Cavalier. It’s because he’s not been in rhythm.
Dunleavy only played 15.8 minutes per game, which is the lowest output since his rookie season (15.9). That’s no excuse for him shooting a measly 35.2 percent, though.
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In case you were wondering, that is the lowest of his all of his 14 NBA seasons. He has also not shot from deep, either.
At 31.3 percent, the veteran is connecting on the second-fewest of his three-pointers in that span as well. This lack of production is not what the organization was expecting from what has been a steady player for many years.
On a team with Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, and Kevin Love, there is plenty of opportunities for open looks. As has been well-documented, playing with LBJ is a shooter’s dream.
Fellow Cavs forward James Jones can attest to that as a reserve shooter.
I understand that he hasn’t been playing a ton with the starting unit on the floor. It’s not as if he’s playing with high school kids out there, either though.
Richard Jefferson is a key contributor for the Cavs; he’s found a way to be efficient in his time on the floor at a similar age. “RJ” is a fan favorite due to Snapchat, and Dunleavy won’t be on his level there.
If he produces like Jefferson, however, he will fit in just fine.
Nobody expects the 36-year old swingman to be the next big thing; it would just help out LeBron if he shot closer to 40 percent from three with wide-open looks galore.
A realistic expectation for Dunleavy for the rest of the season? I see many parallels to a player the likes of Steve Kerr, another pro’s pro in his day.
How cool would it be to see this dude beat Kerr in June? Now that would be quite a catch 22 for the Golden State Warriors coach.
