[truebluefan]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-020606nbacamp.story?coll=cs-bulls-headlines

Each year at the NBA predraft camp, a buzz develops about certain players who impress with their performance.

This year there's a buzz about a player who isn't even in attendance—Duke swingman Mike Dunleavy.

He's expected to be a lottery pick if he remains in the NBA draft June 26, but the buzz for Dunleavy is one of mystery: Will the junior, who has not hired an agent, pull out of the draft by the June 19 deadline?

Read this for what it's worth, but Dunleavy is coming to Chicago this weekend for the league-mandated physical exam. He's also scheduled to appear at a Saturday media session to which the league brings only expected lottery picks.

Also read this for what it's worth, but Bulls general manager Jerry Krause laughs when asked if he's comfortable with the fact that the Bulls have yet to schedule a workout with Dunleavy.

"We've seen so much of Duke over the last three years that I'm very comfortable," Krause said.

Dunleavy has yet to work out for any team. It is traditionally Krause's policy not to draft a player unless he has worked him out privately.

"A workout with him would mean very little," Krause said. "The workout would be more for the [strength coach] Al Vermeil testing and psychological testing. That's of more importance than the stuff on the floor. We know what those [Duke] guys can do. We've seen them under every possible circumstance."

Nevertheless, the Bulls are scheduled to work out Dunleavy's teammate, Jay Williams, next Thursday and Friday.

Dunleavy's draft status and workout availability could become an issue if the rumors surrounding Williams continue to heat up. The Clippers, who own the eighth and 12th selections, and the Warriors, who pick third, are exploring what it would take to trade up for the Duke point guard.

If that happens the Bulls might be forced to consider Dunleavy. Some management figures remain convinced Yao Ming is a poor fit for a defensively challenged team that is built around Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry.

Virginia coach Pete Gillen, who waged many Atlantic Coast Conference battles against Duke, said the 6-foot-9-inch, 220-pound Dunleavy is a special player.

"He really knows how to play and is very difficult to guard," Gillen said, adding that he had no idea of Dunleavy's future plans. "He can shoot it deep or off the dribble and can post up. He has to get stronger but I think he'll be a very good pro."

Well here is a name that we havent brought up for a while. Dunleavy. GS wants williams. A trade of dunleavy and a good player from GS works for me!

 

[Sep]

Okay, either I'm mixed up, or K.C. Johnson's mixed up. Dunleavy really isn't going to travel and work out for anybody, because he's still in school. The Bulls would have to travel down there to do the workout, which I had heard was in the plans.

K.C. also says that Bulls typically don't draft players they don't work out. I've read that Krause usually doesn't work out players who he's scouted extensively, a sentiment which seems to be conveyed by his quote, "We've seen so much of Duke over the last three years that I'm very comfortable", and "a workout with him would mean very little."

I might be misreading the tone of the piece, but it seems like K.C.'s trying to stir up a "Why have the Bulls not looked harder at this tremendous prospect?" story. Very int-e-resting. Now that I think about, isn't it K.C. who chose to quote Jamal Crawford as saying that Dunleavy was the guy he'd take if he could have anyone in this draft (obviously Jamal didn't like the idea of sharing the ball with J-Will - he has since changed his stance, at least according to the paper). Is K.C. Johnson taking tips from Sam Smith about how to lobby for his agenda in his column?

I don't think Krause is leaving any stone unturned. I'm sure we're taking as long a look at Dunleavy as any other team.

 

[Songcycle]

Minor correction Sep, Krause won't draft a player he hasn't met with, not worked out. Evidence, Karl Malone was not drafted because he wouldn't meet with the Bulls so we picked Oakley. (technically we picked Keith Lee and traded for Oakley, but we picked Oakley). Malone was a known talent, but for that sort of activity, he fell to 13th.

 

[BullsNews]

Screw Dunleavy. Tayshaun Prince will be a MUCH better NBA player, trust me.

Prince is the Jamal Magloire of this year's draft. Everyone (except for me) had Magloire going in the 2nd round, because he played for Tubby Smith at Kentucky, where team ball and DEFENSE are the most important things. Magloire only averaged 12 pts and 9 reb as a Senior, but look at the centers taken in the first round of the 2000 draft:

#7 Mihm
#9 Przybilla
#15 Jason Collier
#18 Magloire
#24 Bags
#26 Tsakalidis

If you had to take one of these players right now, it would obviously be Magloire.

2 years from now, we'll be saying the same thing about Prince vs Dunleavy, both Jeffries, and the Euro's.

 

[Songcycle]

It has been said that Magliores roughing up of Mihm in a Bull's workout was a major reason we passed on Mihm. Check out Charlotte's draft history, they draft as good as anybody in the NBA.

 

[SALO]

I used to like Prince when I first saw him as an underclassmen, but I cooled off on the guy last season. He seems too soft.

I have no clue why most folks are so impressed with Dunleavy. I've seen him a few times and he doesn't look too special. He'll be a good player though no doubt.

Prince would be a good pick with our first 2nd rounder.

 

[BullsNews]

Originally posted by Songcycle
It has been said that Magliores roughing up of Mihm in a Bull's workout was a major reason we passed on Mihm. Check out Charlotte's draft history, they draft as good as anybody in the NBA.

Very true, Songcycle- I remember that when word got out that Magloire had abused Mihm, most Bulls fans thought it was just a case of the Bulls trying to drive down Mihm's draft value so we could get him to fall to us at #4. Except for me, of course, because I had seen Magloire play for 4 years and I knew that he was one tough SOB.

Unfortunately, this situation is the same- after the workouts, there is no way in hell that Prince will fall to us at the top of the 2nd round. I just hope that Krause finds a way to land Tay, he'll be the perfect Point Forward for the Triangle- he's Kukoc on offense, but he is a MUCH better defender than Toni ever was.

 

[BullsNews]

Originally posted by SALO
I used to like Prince when I first saw him as an underclassmen, but I cooled off on the guy last season. He seems too soft.

I have no clue why most folks are so impressed with Dunleavy. I've seen him a few times and he doesn't look too special. He'll be a good player though no doubt.

Prince would be a good pick with our first 2nd rounder.

Soft? I must disagree, Prince was Kentucky's leading rebounder this season, and he also led the team in blocked shots. And Kentucky played the toughest schedule in the NCAA last season.

But it's OK- nobody believed me about Magloire, and it's the same deal with Prince. I don't mind, I like being able to look back and say "I was right, you were wrong, nanny nanny boo boo".

 

[such sweet thunder]

I think the official stance is Krause will not draft a player he has never seen play in person. I think I read a quote from Hassel where he said his selection by the Bulls took him by complete surprise because he had never had any contact with their organization.

K.C. seems to be a little bit off key, but his track record has shown that when he writes an article like this it usually means something. Earlier this year I sent an email to him critical of the way he pulled a Sam Smith and woite about the Rose/Artest trade before it had gone down. I came to find out the next morning that it had actually happened. I don't think anybody here believes drafting Dunleavy is that improbable and K.C. is the best beat writer in town....

 

[Sep]

Originally posted by Songcycle
Minor correction Sep, Krause won't draft a player he hasn't met with, not worked out. Evidence, Karl Malone was not drafted because he wouldn't meet with the Bulls so we picked Oakley. (technically we picked Keith Lee and traded for Oakley, but we picked Oakley). Malone was a known talent, but for that sort of activity, he fell to 13th.

Exactly my point, Songcycle - I heard the same thing as you, but K.C. Johnson claims that he won't draft a player he hasn't worked out.

 

[HJHJR]

Dunleavy finally has cleared the air in terms of who he would prefer to see draft him. Previously it was believed that he was trying to manipulate the draft so that he and his father could end up in Memphis together.

Dunleavy Jr. still weighing options
By Mike McGraw Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted on June 07, 2002
The internal debate continues. Even when Mike Dunleavy thought he had a grip on whether his son should stay in the NBA Draft, his opinion turned out to be wrong.

"I actually told him this weekend that he should go back to school if he's struggling with the idea that much," Dunleavy said Thursday while watching the NBA's predraft camp at Moody Bible Institute. "And he said no. He just wasn't sure yet. He's just weighing everything. He said, 'I'll figure it out.'æ"

The Bulls and every other team with a selection in the June 26 draft will be affected by the decision. Mike Dunleavy Jr., a 6-foot-9 forward from Duke, has declared for the draft, but has not hired an agent. He has until June 19 to decide whether to turn pro or return to school for his senior season. His father thinks the debate will continue right until the deadline.

Dunleavy and Connecticut's Caron Butler are likely the two players the Bulls might consider taking instead of Duke guard Jay Williams with the No. 2 pick - assuming Chinese center Yao Ming is chosen first by Houston.

One NBA personnel director whose team has a top-five pick says he doesn't think Dunleavy would be chosen any lower than No. 3. Golden State has the third pick and Memphis No. 4.

"That's what I hear," said Dunleavy Sr. "We went into it thinking he would be a top-five pick and I don't think he gets to five. But I don't know."

Dunleavy's father said the teams at the top of the draft are not holding up the decision. His son is not trying to avoid getting picked by the Bulls or Golden State, for example.

"He's struggling with the idea of passing up his senior year," said Dunleavy Sr. "It really doesn't have anything to do with the teams. The teams that could pick him are all good places, good teams. So it's just whether he stays or not."

There has been speculation that if Dunleavy is chosen by Memphis at No. 4, he would be coached by his father. Dunleavy Sr. has been head coach of the Lakers, Milwaukee and Portland. In Los Angeles, he was hired by Jerry West, who now heads the Grizzlies' basketball operations.

"I don't think it's an issue," said Dunleavy Sr. "We look at it like, 'If it happens, it happens.'"

Dunleavy did say he is interested in another NBA coaching job and thinks he would enjoy coaching his son.

"Either way, it's tough," he said. "If you're coaching against him, you've got to try and stop him. If you're coaching him, you're trying to help him. I would rather try to help him as opposed to stop him."

Dunleavy Jr.'s draft stock is high because he is so versatile. He can shoot from the outside, handle the ball and is tall enough to help around the basket, though he'll need to get stronger to compete in the NBA.

"I'm biased, but I love him because he plays the game the way you're supposed to play the game," his father said. "He's a totally unselfish player. He plays all facets of the game. He'll continue to get better and bigger, I think."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If Dunleavy would welcome the opportunity to play for the Bulls, he likely becomes the Bulls alternative to Jay Williams should Houston's negotiations with Ming go south and Williams is snatched up with the first pick.

Not a bad alternative, when you think about it. With Robinson's questionable health status, Mike Jr. becomes an instant solution. And if ERob is healthy and ready to go, a rotation at the swing positions of Rose, Robinson and Dunleavy would be very effective given the differences in each player's game. Of course, a Dunleavy selection would signal a committment to Jamal at the point and would make Best's resigning imperative.

As for the "workout" issue, what Krause really cares about, especially when it comes to a player he's scouted extensively and perhaps for a number of years, is having this individual submit to a physical, take the psychological test, and spend the rest of the time engaging in lots of general "get to know you" type of conversation. That's all that occured during Ming's so called "private workout" with the Bulls. There weren't any on court drills or one on one scrimmages. So when Krause says, "A workout with him would mean very little," The workout would be more for the [strength coach] Al Vermeil testing and psychological testing. That's of more importance than the stuff on the floor. We know what those [Duke] guys can do. We've seen them under every possible circumstance," he means just that. Krause is first and foremost a character guy. If he can't get a handle on what makes a player tick then its extremely unlikely that he'll draft that player.

 

[Songcycle]

This is good news in my book. Though I sincerely doubt Houston will pass on Ming, having Dunleavy as a possible alternate to Jay Williams leaves me worry free on draft day. If we select him, he will help us in many ways and make his teammates better players.

 

[Songcycle]

One thing that just struck me about psychological testing is that even if we don't draft the player being tested, it can give us an insight as to how to defeat that player on the court.

 

[HJHJR]

If Dunleavy stays in the draft his presence may very well force the Chinese to back off on their demands with Ming. I'll bet you Mike Jr. never thought he'd have such an impact on international relations!

Here's the deal. The Chinese are being obstinate and bullheaded with Houston because until now they've honestly believed that if Houston won't take Ming, Chicago certainly will. In fact, I sometimes believe that the Chinese would prefer Ming go to Chicago more than they would want to see him become the overall #1 pick.

Now Mike Dunleavy enters the picture. His spokesman father states that his son would not have a problem being selected by any of the teams at the top of the draft, including Chicago and Golden State.

That makes it "Oh, Oh" time for the Chinese. Dunleavy now becomes a viable alternative for the Bulls to select should Jay Williams be grabbed up with the first pick.

Now it's not such a lock that the Bulls will draft Ming if Houston decides to move in another direction. That would make Yao available to GS, who although they've got a significant Chinese population base, have shown little or no interest in Yao Ming. If Williams is gone I truly believe the Warriors will select Wagner and hope he can get the job done at PG. And that would make Ming available to either Memphis or Denver. And what would the Chinese do then? Do they pull Ming and effectively eliminate their countrymen from ever being considered seriously by an NBA team again? Or do they allow Ming to labor in relative obscurity in either Memphis or Denver?

You see? Dunleavy's presence in the draft significantly diminishes any leverage the Chinese think they have right now with Houston. If 6/19 comes and goes and Mike Jr hasn't pulled out of the draft you'll see the Chinese soften their position with Houston significantly.

Now, where does all this leave the Bulls and Jerry Krause? In a very, very delicate position, as a matter of fact. Consider this:
Krause wants Jay Williams. The only way he gets to draft Jay Williams is if Houston keeps its pick and drafts Ming.
If at any time Krause gives an indication that he will draft Dunleavy and not Ming if Williams is gone, you can bet that Houston and GS will work out a deal that lands the Warriors Jay Williams at #1 while the Rockets would still select Ming with the third overall pick. So as far as the rest of the league is concerned Krause has to give the impression that if Ming falls to the Bulls, Krause just might take him with the #2 pick. At the same time he wants the Chinese to believe that Dunleavy may be his choice if Williams is gone and he has to choose between Yao and Mike Jr. If the Chinese truly believe that Chicago may pass on Yao, negotiations between them and Houston should improve considerably, especially after 6/19 presuming Dunleavy hasn't withdrawn from the draft.

Now, this is all just speculation on my part. But if JWill is the player Jerry lusts for, either to keep or package as part of a blockbuster trade, then he's going to have to do a masterful job of sending mixed signals via his own remarks or through press leaks between now and 6/26. The bottom line for all of us is, don't believe anything you hear or read about the Bulls draft plans, or any other team's plans for that matter. It's simply impossible to separate smokescreens from the truth at this time of year.

 

[truebluefan]

i too think that is exactly whats going on in Houston. China thinks they have the upper hand. They really want Ming to be drafted #1 but also want ming to be in Chicago. I thought it was very smart of JK to talk the way he did about dunleavy. Especially since he hasnt had him in for a workout. And yes hjh, it could get very interesting by the 19th. I look for china and houston to not really solve anything until just about then.

As for dunleavy the player. I like him. He is my next choice to have on the bulls. I like prince also and I am really surprised that he is projected a low first round pick if not a high second. I just love dunleavys game. He has it all. Defense, offense, range. He is unselfish which is exactly what this team needs if williams is traded. Hes smart. I think he can step in and help the bulls. I really do. I wouldnt be against a trade with GS. Now that being said, if some one wants williams that drafted prince in the first round. I would not object to a trade to get prince either but the player included had better be well worth the trade.

 

[HJHJR]

Originally posted by NCBullsFan
TrueBlueFan, Songcycle, and HJHJR:

What is you see in Dunleavy? He can shoot (although he is as bad as Jay Williams at the free throw line), but like BullsNews mentioned, so can Prince, but he's a late first rounder or early second rounder.

Can he pass? It is really hard to tell. He had only 72 assists in 35 games this year. I know he was playing out of position at PF, but he handled the ball a lot this year at Duke. Playing with Jay Williams and Carlos Boozer, it is amazing to me that he didn't average 3 or 4 assists per game, especially as much as he touched the ball.

Can he play defense? He was All-Defense in the ACC, but that was at the PF position and we all saw that when matched up with talented PFs (Wilcox and Jeffries), Dunleavy had a lot of trouble. But that is beside the point. Can he guard wing players? We really have no idea, since during his sophomore year, Battier and James guarded the good wing players and Dunleavy was left guarding the poorer wing players. (One could say the same thing about Jay Williams, since Duhon last year guarded the better guards.)

So what is it about Dunleavy that is so attractive? People will fall back on the "he's such a smart player" or "he's got good fundamentals" or "if you had ever seen him play in person, you would be a believer."

Well, I have seen him in person, and he is fine player, but so is Prince and a couple dozen other players in the NBA draft. (I thought he was the third best player on Duke this year, behind Williams and Boozer.) For nonbelievers like me, when people trot out these statements like those in the preceding paragraph, there just isn't much that I can say, since people can say those kind of things about any player, even the guy down the street.

NC,
In my younger days I played alot of 16" softball in Chicago. The teams I played for were generally less athletic and older than most of our opponents. Now, I'm not talking about rec ball. This was big time city softball where considerable sums of money changed hands and the stakes were always high.

Anyhow, to make a long story short, my doddering old fart teamates and I regularly beat our young stud opponents' brains in, game after game. We did it with savy and guile. We won because we knew how to play the game better than any of our opponents did. Believe me, if we would have tried to compete with our opponents in track and field events we'd have been blown away.

My point is that you just can't put a value on basketball instincts and court savy because those qualities are priceless. Dunleavy has those qualities in abundance. He's already a gifted athlete...maybe not world class, but a fine athlete nonetheless. When you combine whatever physical skills God has bestowed on him with a superior basketball intellect, plain and simple you've got a player who knows how to win. He may not put up tremendous stats, but you'll seldom see him out of position or confused on the court. You'll see him get a "read" on his teamates' tendancies faster and more accurately than other players. You know, Isiah Thomas once said that if Larry Bird was black he'd be just another average ballplayer. I hope Thomas was limiting his opinions to Bird's physical attributes, because what made him great wasn't how fast he could run or how high he could jump. What made Larry great was his basketball intellect and an extraordinary will to win, to excel and be the best he could possibly be.

Everybody's caught up in "measureables" these days. I don't deny their importance, but unless these wonderful physical attributes are harnessed and guided by instinct and intelligence you'll end up watching a very athletic team that never figures out how to win consistently.

Anyhow, that's my take on Mike Jr. I like the whole package. And I love watching intelligent basketball much more than two hours of high flyin' acrobatics that don't count for anymore points than a simple layup. Most of all, I love watching winning basketball, and Dunleavy, in my book, knows what it takes to win.

 

[chifaninca]

I have said that I would love to see Prince with our first second rd. pick (or Grizzard if he falls and if we pick and keep Jay Williams). I would love to have a draft of:

2) Jay Williams
30) Tayshaun Prince (or Rod Grizzard)
44) Lenny Cooke

Wow, think of the Future:


Not in starting order:

PG - Williams and Crawford, Rose
SG - Crawford, Rose, Hassell, Cooke
SF - Rose, Robinson, Prince
PF - Chandler, Fizer
C - Curry, Bagaric

Maybe we pick up Cisse as FA

We need another C/PF but we would be solid, if not spectacular in two years.


This is realistic in my opinion......


Go Bulls

 

[Johnjo]

how does dunleavy even come close to being considered our number 1 pick. i mean mike frickin dunleavy. there is nothing special about him. he'll be nothing more than a mediocre player. why the hell would you pass on jwill or butler or wagner for dunleavy. simple. you wouldnt. end of conversation.

 

[truebluefan]

Originally posted by Johnjo
how does dunleavy even come close to being considered our number 1 pick. i mean mike frickin dunleavy. there is nothing special about him. he'll be nothing more than a mediocre player. why the hell would you pass on jwill or butler or wagner for dunleavy. simple. you wouldnt. end of conversation.

Johnjo. I dont think anyone here said anything about Dunleavy being our #1 pick. Talk is we draft williams and some team wants williams bad enough would include dunleavy and a very good player in the trade.

 

[Dan Rosenbaum]

HJHJR:

Yes, watching Duke over the years, I do agree that they have had the smartest, most mentally tough player in the last decade.

But his name was Shane Battier - not Mike Dunleavy.

Battier is not more physically gifted than Dunleavy, but he more than made up for it by playing a much more intellectual, much more mature game than Dunleavy.

Rather than constantly complaining to the referees (sometimes while the play is still going on), Battier would figure out what he needed to do to be able to guard the opposing team's center or power forward (or shooting guard or small forward), regardless of how big they were. He would never allow himself to be taken out of a game like Wilcox and Jeffries did to Dunleavy. He would have understood those player's tendencies and adjusted his game accordingly. I never saw Dunleavy making those adjustments.

Battier was able to do whatever was needed because he understands the game so well. Dunleavy showed very little of that understanding.

Yes, Dunleavy is a coach's son, and that is why eveyone raves about his basketball intellect. But one thing that has always puzzled me is why is Dunleavy so thin and weak. Yes, I know he had a growth spurt, but come on this guy grew up around NBA players all of his life. He say how big they were. And how big he wasn't. Why wasn't he putting time in the weight room from an early age? Either it is because he is not that hard of a worker, he is not smart enough to realize that strength will matter, or he is not capable of adding weight and strength. I am not too fond of any of those scenarios.

And HJHJR, I umpired hundreds of rec league softball games (not 16'') when I was going through college and understanding the game will go a long way in overcoming physical skills. But where is the evidence that he has that basketball intellect or especially that mental toughness?

I have seen a couple dozen Duke games over the past couple of years, and the difference between this year's team and last year's team is that this year's team was not as mentally tough or as smart as last year's team. Duhon played smarter this year, Boozer was much more consistent, and Ewing and Jones picked up their games as the season dragged on. The difference was that Dunleavy was not able to make the jump from complimentary player to star player. Yes, he scored, but that was about all. He was not able to make those plays that separate the really good teams from the great teams.

Mike Dunleavy is no Shane Battier.

A lot of this criticism could go towards JWill as well, but JWill plays a different position than Battier, so it is much harder to compare. It was just so plainly evident this year that Dunleavy was not the "little things" player that Battier was. The only place that Dunleavy was comparable to Battier was the box score.