Basketball Obituaries -- Mike Dunleavy Jr. 2002-2007

by dj fuzzylogic on Jan 17, 2007 10:37 PM PST in News Comment 30 comments

Mike Dunleavy Jr.

2002-2007

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Thanks for the all the great fotos, Funleavy. These moments will be missed.
(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Drafted in 2002, Dunleavy Jr., the third overall pick of the 2002, became the future of the franchise. Dunleavy Jr. ended his battle with Warrior fans, teammates, Caron Butler, coaches, and the high expectations (or even the low expectations as of late) on January 17th, 2007. On this day, he was dealt to the Indiana Pacers.

An average player, horrible defender, streaky shooter, supposedly hard fouler, extraordinary box-outter, and decent passer -- Funleavy Foto Fun will be missed.

He is survived by his replacements: Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, Josh Powell and Sarunas Jasikevicius.

How will the Funleavy era be remembered in the Bay Area?

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caron butler?

can someone enlighten me on that one?

by AJC3317 on Jan 17, 2007 10:53 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

not really a battle

but more like Butler instigating...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/12/14/SP1739.DTL

by dj fuzzylogic on Jan 18, 2007 8:02 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

ah alright

thanx for that

by AJC3317 on Jan 18, 2007 5:32 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

How will the Funleavy era be remembered

"in the Bay Area?"

BOOOOOOOOO! BOOOOOOOO!! BOOOOOOOOO!!!

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 17, 2007 10:56 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Bird

Fun, on the press conference off the Pacers, Larry Bird says Dunleavy is a very smart player and a very good rebounder

by Jacque on Jan 17, 2007 11:02 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Larry Bird says Dunleavy is a very smart player

" and a very good rebounder"

Maybe Bird thought he was getting Dunleavey Sr?

by Skeptic con Urquell on Jan 17, 2007 11:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Dun was a bum

and a fraud. Mullin thought he saw himself in Dun Jr. He fired Muss over Dun's PT. Hired Monty to make Dun a star. Not good. Nelson was hired to inspire Dunleavy to become a point forward. No, Nelson fell in love with Baron and not Dunleavy. Baron got Barnes, now Al and Stephen. Nelson gets Sarunus, Murph goes back to Indiana where he starred at ND. Dun gets shown the door. I am overjoyed. I'll give Dun this. He really learned how to take a charge this season. That's it.

by eshock on Jan 17, 2007 11:31 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

You Haters are Over the Top

While you all preen in delight over the W's having shucked Dunleavy from this constantly underperforming team, you entirely miss the point. Despite your hatred for the guy -- and it's gotten insanely emotional and personal with all the idiotic piling on you cheap shotters crave so much -- Dunleavy is a very good player given his limitations (lack of speed and power -- not really his fault), and I suspect most of the haters are unathletic couch potatoes who like to carp, but can't play -- sort of "thems that can, do; thems that can't, teach" -- or call it that), a smart defender, good passer, always in position -- and a good teammate. (Though people STILL call him a finger-pointer, that myth has been endlessly disproven.)

No, you haters don't like a guy who didn't live up to YOUR misguided expectations of what you thought he should be since the W's made him the third choice in the draft. YOU clearly prefer a thug like Jackson: a criminal who's now got current charges against him for hitting a guy in a wheelchair and shooting a pistol outside a bar. Makes perfect sense; he'll certainly clean up his act now that you're cheering him on. If the guy has athleticism, that's enough for you. Smarts and integrity don't count.

Well, I don't hate the trade. I like the cap relief -- especially vis-a-vis Murph. I like the POSSIBILITY that Harrington can fit here (tho I wasn't sold on him during last Summer's extended, and unsuccessful, courtship). But to celebrate with such childish vindictiveness -- and point such fingers at Dunleavy (like he's ruined your lives) -- is simply beyond rational or civil thought. No surprises, of course, because this has been the recent trend among the know-nothings (the real finger-pointers) -- and people like that are champions at piling on. But let's let this trade sink in for a while, let's reign in the celebratory nonsense and wait to see if more games are actually won (assuming winning and not simply athletic play is the goal) as a result, and let's see how Dun, in particular, plays in a much smarter basketball environment, where winning teams are not the exceptions and people know and care how a TEAM game is played. Just a thought.

OK. Coffee break over. Now you can go back to the stomping.

by johnl on Jan 18, 2007 8:43 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

no need to stomp...

dunleavy's opponents on the court have done enough of that.

just a couple of issues:

i don't know how "good" of a teammate you can be without the respect of your teammates. i guess we can call adonal a good teammate in some ways, but truly, to be a good teammate means making your teammates better - on the court. what evidence is there of that with dunleavy?
also, to say someone is good "given his limitations" is a pretty generous standard. i mean, i'm an outstanding player, given my limitations of non-existent jump shot, lackluster speed, minimal strength, poor ball handling...

truthfully, though, and i may not be the first person to call this out, but the love/hate, defend/support dunleavy issue seems to have some racial undertones here. true, we are loving steve jax until he screws up here, but it seems deeper than that...more than one commentator here at GSOM seems to be lamenting the replacement of "good boys" with "thugs"...reminds me of a lot of comments i get about oakland on the east coast, when people ask me: "is it all ghetto there?"

All-time Oakland Warriors: Hardaway, J-Rich, Mullin, Mr. Mean & The Chief

by OaktownWarrior on Jan 18, 2007 9:56 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

i feel you

theres too much racism!

by travisl212 on Jan 18, 2007 1:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Haha

Normally I'd deconstruct your arguments and falsities about Dunleavy and take offense to your random and obscene idea that "YOU clearly prefer a thug like Jackson" (thanks again for putting words in someone's mouth- no one EVER said that)... but who cares? Funleavy's gone. We have better things to worry about than all this Dunleavy drama.

You're an astute basketball mind except for your Dunleavy praise- no question. I'm glad that we can all talk Warriors basketball now and not have to worry about Dun's disappointing performances. It's a good day in Warriors land.

by Atma Brother ONE on Jan 18, 2007 10:05 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, Please!

I believe your very words on Jackson were that "he will be a great fit here." We all know how you felt about Dun -- you've been a proud and confirmed hater for a long time. But why did you choose to ignore Jackson's thug history -- and a thug is a thug, in Indiana, at Detroit, in Oakland, black or white (see, good catholic kids kick the bejesus out of Yale glee clubbers), whaling on a guy in a wheelchair, or shooting off his gun outside a nightclub. Obviously it means little to you that this guy is just a time-bomb waiting to go off (see Artest, Ron -- and how long now in Sacto till HE blows?). Can he make the highlights (for his BBall play, that is)? If so, he's your kind of guy.

In short, you could never excuse Dun for anything, and carped even when he played well, as against the Clips on MLK Day, but you welcome a criminal with open and loving (and naively forgiving) arms, even one with new and worse criminal charges pending against -- promising he'll be "a great fit" on this team. Maybe he will; maybe pigs will learn to fly. Hey, in the unlikely event he does a personality 180, plays a team game and is no longer a poison in the clubhouse, I'll become a fan. My money's on practical reality, though. You should try it -- since the full picture is ultimately the best one.

Until then, tell me: DON'T you prefer a thug like Jackson to a guy like Dunleavy? Or do you just choose to ignore his consistent history (i.e. as you did in yesterday's glowing report on his "great fit" here) and the very real threat of it continuing?

by johnl on Jan 18, 2007 11:55 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

A few things to think about...

When people say its not Dun's fault for living up to the expectations placed on him by fans, analysts, etc, I can agree to a certain extent. Its not HIS fault for being drafted THAT early. BUT if we make that argument, doesn't that apply to ALL busts in the history of the NBA draft who have never lived up to expectations? Danny Ferry, Olowakandi, Pervis Ellison, Kwame Brown, etc. How come these guys don't get the breaks? Granted, this group are not even rotation guys, though Ellison might have if it weren't for the injuries. But should we just throw away with judging players at all? I speak in hyperboles just for effect. Secondly, the NBA is a business. Murphy and Dun were not producing -- at least not to Nellie's standards and maybe even Mullin's standards. Granted, Jackson has tons of attitude issues and we won't know if his behavior will be a detriment to the team, but if the current squad isn't producing -- team game or not -- its time for a change.

by dj fuzzylogic on Jan 18, 2007 1:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

also other players on the team not producing

like Pietrus.

by dj fuzzylogic on Jan 18, 2007 1:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Fair Comment

But that wasn't my point. Indeed, I'm not opposed to the trade -- for the reasons you state (and the $30MM of eventual cap relief). What galls me is the need people have to paint Dunleavy as a bad player -- which he's not (and the W's sure could have used him last night). And many of the comments were just too over the top, especially since the writer entirely ignored the fact that this new "great fit" (i.e. Jackson) has a lengthy history of bad -- even criminal -- behavior (including the pending felony charges in Indiana and the possible probation violation in Michigan). I'm not saying we need saints on the hardcourt, but I am suggesting we could be a wee bit more constrained in our observations off of it.

An example: While it ain't the end of the world, I dislike the boorish behavior exhibited by several Pats after the Chargers game (and I'm a big Pats fan, as long as Brady's there). LT was right, in my mind, to criticize Wilfork and others; similarly, I didn't like it when Owens jumped on the star in Dallas several years ago, tho I'm a big Niners fan. There's a place for civility; no good place for dumping on a guy for not living up to your expectations. True, I like Dun's game, and think the W's will miss it -- and I know most others disagree. But one doesn't have to be so adolescent about it, especially when one ignores the obvious problems walking in the door, in return.

by johnl on Jan 18, 2007 2:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Word.

I see you on that comment about the cap relief. It is a blessing! Personally, I was/and still am caught up in the changes. Point taken about the reservations of the new players too.

by dj fuzzylogic on Jan 18, 2007 3:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh don't worry

But why did you choose to ignore Jackson's thug history -- and a thug is a thug, in Indiana, at Detroit, in Oakland, black or white (see, good catholic kids kick the bejesus out of Yale glee clubbers), whaling on a guy in a wheelchair, or shooting off his gun outside a nightclub. Obviously it means little to you that this guy is just a time-bomb waiting to go off (see Artest, Ron -- and how long now in Sacto till HE blows?). Can he make the highlights (for his BBall play, that is)? If so, he's your kind of guy.

We'll definitely get to that. Patience my friend, patience. We're working as hard as we can on this site. I dare you to find another hoops team blog that posts a frequently as we do with as much passion.

And for the record I don't like thugs or support deviant behavior. I think Jax will be a great fit here ON the court. Off the court- who knows?

What I took exception to was this:

YOU clearly prefer a thug like Jackson: a criminal who's now got current charges against him for hitting a guy in a wheelchair and shooting a pistol outside a bar. Makes perfect sense; he'll certainly clean up his act now that you're cheering him on. If the guy has athleticism, that's enough for you. Smarts and integrity don't count.

YOU shouldn't put words in other peoples mouth. I prefer Jackson on the court to Dunleavy. It has nothing to do with those side antics. For you to say someone's preference is caused by something they never said, is entirely unfair.

Speaking of emotional- remember when you point a finger at someone, you're pointing 3 back at yourself.

by Atma Brother ONE on Jan 18, 2007 4:46 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

50/50, I guess

I put no words in your mouth -- you did that, saying that Jackson is "a great fit" on this team. You want to qualify that now by saying you meant "on court" and that you don't like thugs (and who does, except other thugs?).

The problem I have with this is that you necessarily excuse (or overlook) this guy's certifiable criminal character so long as he's got game. (Sort of "What, me worry?" The guy looks good on the hardwood. Who cares about his conduct when I'm not watching?) I can't do that -- especially since Jackson's history on this is so long -- both as to his apparently ongoing criminal activity and his continuous inability to work with coaches with whom he disagrees (or who try to get him to do anything other than just what HE wants to do). This tends to result in ball-hogging, poor shooting and me-firstism. We've seen too much of that in the past.

But, while I remain pessimistic re Jackson -- and would never characterize him as a great fit anywhere, until he proves himself over the course of a season -- the trade's done, and I'll cut him some slack -- however warily -- until we see what happens. (Though I'd sure love to package him with a 12-14 for Meggette, assuming Pops doesn't work out a deal for Dun, if the Clips would trade with a division competitor.) Who knows? Maybe Nellie will straighten him out, though he seems to be as much a ticking bomb as Artest, who's as loony as they come.

Finally, I think the 3-for-1 finger-pointing nyah-nyah sounds cute, though I have no idea what it means. I do, though, concede, Atma, that you've been putting up so much stuff this week that you're bound to go overboard in some of your comments (e.g. gratuitous cheap-shotting of Dun, Pollyana-ish love fest with Jackson). So I'll say no more. I do, though, applaud and appreciate your talent for gathering up so much info this week from so many disparate sources and making it available for GSOM readers -- you've done a terrific job with that. Thanks.

by johnl on Jan 19, 2007 10:09 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

hahahaha

great job atma... always speakin the truth!

by travisl212 on Jan 18, 2007 1:18 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

hahahahahahahahahaha

shut up

by travisl212 on Jan 18, 2007 1:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't recall anyone

really thinking Dunleavy was going to be "became the future of the franchise" if by that you mean superstar

It was a weak draft. Most thought he would be a good player (maybe 3rd option) and certainly he has come up short

If you look at that draft you realize that most everyone would have taken Dunleavy where we did and it was weak

I can't defend the contact he was given

by Zig on Jan 18, 2007 8:55 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

i admit...

...i totally believed the hype

by dj fuzzylogic on Jan 18, 2007 10:07 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

what hype?

Most basketball analysts and people I know who know the game thought Dunleavy would be a soild player but nobody should have expected a superstar. It was a weak draft

What did you see at Duke that led you down that path?

by Zig on Jan 18, 2007 5:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I remember

during draft night, tnt/espn commentators saying how they hadn't seen all around skills like that since "Grant Hill" or maybe that was just Coach K saying that. I think the Larry Bird comparisons too -- not just because they're both white (though that might have something to do with it) -- speak volumes to the "hype" that i was a fool for. Dun was supposed to be a great shooter and was part of the larger discourse about his value (the debates over his worth on this blog or kawatami's for that matter for further evidence). Funny how supposed Bird clones are reduced to just shooting and scoring, when Bird's hustle, to my knowledge and memory (tho it was a long time ago) seemed to make him standout. The shooting was pretty incredible though.

by dj fuzzylogic on Jan 18, 2007 5:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Oooh, don't forget Larry's Boards

The man averaged 10 a game!

http://www.nba.com/history/players/bird_stats.html

I wish people didn't take those comparisons to Larry Legend so lightly with Dunleavy and Morrison. Larry was in a league of his own. It's unfair to his legacy to make those comparisons. Bird was an all time great and those comparisons really diminish all his great accomplishments.

by Atma Brother ONE on Jan 18, 2007 5:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

check out the assists

too

The man was also stone cold when it was time to make a big play and he was a tough guy

A great winner

by Zig on Jan 21, 2007 12:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Larry Bird was a dominate

college basketball player

Mike Dunleavy wasn't even the best player on his team

by Zig on Jan 21, 2007 12:29 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

last time i checked

"Smarts and integrity" didn't score you points in an NBA game. LOL.

Let's Go Oakland! Gas, Brake, Dip.

by OaktownFunk on Jan 18, 2007 9:24 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

But

If Jackson ends up in prison, he won't score many points there either.

And "smarts" DO count: if you watched the game last night you saw at least five occasions where a Clip simply blew thru a ZONE for a lay-up because our guys weren't "smart" enough to get in position. The beauty of a zone is that you preclude just those drives from ever happening. Also, when you miss long shot after long shot after long shot, as Barnes did, you stop with the long shots and drive. Barnes didn't, and those bad misses at the end of his 2-15 night really hurt the W's when it counted most.

Had we played "smart" last night, the good intensity we did show would have been enough to result in a team win.

by johnl on Jan 18, 2007 12:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs