It has come to my attention from an observant colleague that Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy has a striking resemblance to New Jersey organized crime boss Tony Soprano.

Now, I’m not sure how close the two are in appearance, but the duo may share a similarity in defying tough odds. Tony Soprano — he survived the mob life even until the final episode of the Sopranos. Mike Dunleavy — he has gotten his superstar-less squad to 5-2 in the superstar-laden NBA.

Dunleavy is far from a perfect coach, but he deserves credit for getting a lot out of his roster. The other night against the Knicks, that was put on display as New York coach Isiah Thomas hardly got anything out of his roster, which actually isn’t as awful as many think. If Dunleavy were coaching the Knicks, here is one bet that they’d at least be in the hunt for the playoffs…