When all-world offensive machine Carmelo Anthony zipped into the lane last night during a rare transition chance for the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, he found himself suddenly stripped of the ball. The thief? Mike Dunleavy. Jeff Van Gundy, announcing the game, said immediately: “Dunleavy’s a pro’s pro. Serious student of the game.”
The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Mike Dunleavy isn’t defense, but in Chicago for Tim Thibodeau that’s what you do–play defense. The Knicks managed just 80 points total on their own floor against the fierce-looking Bulls, who have really put some pieces in place–adding Pau Gasol to Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and the return of a healthy Derrick Rose. Dunleavy didn’t score a point, but had a +17 effect on the game, leading all Bulls in court time while playing 31:01. Those are the kinds of pieces championship teams have–pro’s pros. One was on the Knicks, but he was in a suit: the pro’s pro Derek Fisher is the Knicks head coach.
