Mike Dunleavy Scouting Report

Mike Dunleavy had another bad night on Friday. We’re only 6 games into the season, but an 8 point average over 33 minutes has got to be raising a few eyebrows in the fantasy community. When is this guy going to wake up and produce?

Dunleavy, 25, was the Warriors’ 1st round pick (3rd overall) in the 2002 draft. Jay Williams went 1 pick before him; Drew Gooden went 1 pick after him. If you’re talking guys who actually panned out you’ve got Amare Stoudemire at 12, Carlos Boozer at 25, and Tayshaun Prince at 27. Nene, whom I like, went at 8. But he’s out for the year with a Jason Kubel knee.

Was Dunleavy a good pick? I don’t know. Considering the dearth of talent in that draft I think you can safely say “better him than Frank Williams.” Tayshaun Prince, who plays a similar game, is already averaging 18/night. Last year he was good for 15 points and 5 rebounds/game. Prince is the same age as Dunleavy, who put up very similar numbers last year (13 points/6 rebounds). But while Tayshaun has upped his production in 2005, Dunleavy is down to 8 points/game. Still, he’s shooting 27%. That’s not going to last, and he’ll be up to 45% with a 15+ point average in a couple weeks. But is that all he’s good for?

Dunleavy is a big kid who can rebound. He’s got great size at 6′9″, but he’s an outside shooter. He hit 39% of his 3s last year; Peja Stojakovich hit 40%. He’s a better rebounder than Peja, and his assist, steals, and block totals are all slightly superior. The difference is playing time and shot attempts. He’s 5 minutes and 5 shots behind Stojakovich. If the Warriors are dedicated to giving him 35 minutes/game then he should be good for 18 points and 6 rebounds/night. I like Mike, and he’s going to start hitting shots. But he’s not very quick and he’s a subpar defender. So there won’t be a huge breakout here. Try to buy low while he’s hovering around the 30% range and you’ll be rewarded with a decent scorer who’ll shoot a decent percentage. He’s not a great option as a starter, but you could do worse at Utility.

Mike Dunleavy Profile and Statistics