Mike Dunleavy Will Have A Positive Impact On Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired veteran sharpshooter Mike Dunleavy from the Chicago Bulls earlier this offseason. Despite his age, Dunleavy will have a positive impact on the Cavs.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers won their first ever NBA championship, defeating the 73-win Golden State Warriors after being down 3-1, general manager David Griffin stated he would like to keep the team together in order to see what they’re capable of, per ESPN’s Marc Stein.

For the most part, Griffin has managed to keep the team intact, with the exception of Matthew Dellavedova, who signed a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks earlier in the offseason, and the addition of Kay Felder, whom they drafted with the 54th pick in the 2016 NBA draft.

One other player Griffin brought in was Mike Dunleavy from the Chicago Bulls. In order to create cap space to sign Dwyane Wade, the Bulls shipped Dunleavy to Cleveland in exchange for the rights to forward Albert Miralles. The Cavaliers used Dellavedova’s trade exception to absorb Dunleavy’s $4.8 million contract.

“We are very pleased to be able to welcome Mike to our Cavaliers family,” said Griffin acoording to NBA.com. “His size, shooting, basketball IQ, and versatility make him a great fit for our group on the floor. While his experience, professionalism, grit, and team first character will be key for us in the locker room.”

There are definite question marks surrounding Dunleavy’s role with the team, his age and injury history standing out the most. Just last season the soon-to-be 36-year-old appeared in just 31 games after undergoing season-ending back surgery.

Despite missing out on a majority of the 2015-16 season, Dunleavy believes he has gotten his back “right,” and felt good when he got back, and still feels good, according to Sam Smith of NBA.com.

His age, on the other hand, shouldn’t affect the Cavaliers too much. At 35, Dunleavy will be doing most of his damage off the Cavaliers bench–a bench that includes players such as Richard Jefferson, Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye, and Chris Andersen.

If Dunleavy’s age does manage to get in the way of his game, his role with the team will shrink as his one-year guaranteed deal expires; however, that isn’t likely because Dunleavy does have the ability to knock down the long-range shot, which is very coveted in the current NBA.

Dunleavy’s ability to hit the three-pointer is something head coach Tyronn Lue will utilize. Dunleavy is a career 37.6 percent shooter from downtown, but he has managed to improve his shooting numbers as his career wears on, shooting at least a 38.0 percent clip from deep during the last six seasons.

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Adding another perimeter threat off the bench is not a bad idea for the Cavaliers. Last season, the Cavaliers bench ranked third in the league in three-point shooting, shooting 37.2 percent from beyond the arc, according to hoopsstats.com. After losing Dellavedova, who shot 41.0 percent from three-point range last season, the team’s number is expected to dip, but with Dunleavy in town, it will not suffer too much.

To add to his ability to knock down shots from long range, Dunleavy will also provide a consistent defensive presence. He may not be the best defender in the association, but at 6-foot-9, 230 pounds he will be able to hold his own on defense, especially with support from the likes of Shumpert and Tristan Thompson, who both thrive on defense.

Ultimately, Dunleavy, despite his age and injury history, will have a positive impact on the Cavaliers next season. His ability to knock down the three-point shot puts him in position to thrive with his new team.

If the addition of Dunleavy doesn’t work out for Cleveland, for whatever reason, they will not have to worry about him after the 2016-17 campaign, because he has one year remaining on his contract.