Dunleavy’s season takes turn for better

A $44 million contract brings with it a lot more than financial security.

It brings expectations — big ones — and Mike Dunleavy hardly lived up to them through the early stages of the season.

Each jumper that clanked off the rim seemed to raise questions about whether the Warriors had erred in signing the small forward to a lucrative, long-term deal.

But the shots are starting to drop with more regularity, and Dunleavy’s season has taken a turn for the better as the Warriors go for their fifth consecutive victory tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats at Oakland Arena.

‘‘At the start of the season, I wasn’t that much involved shooting, and my shots weren’t going down,’’ Dunleavy said Thursday. ‘‘I was really ineffective. But now I’m finding ways to have the ball in my hands a little more, and make plays and do what I do.’’

The overall numbers? Still a far cry from what the Warriors should expect after signing Dunleavy to a five- year deal two days before the season opener.

He’s shooting just 37.6 percent from the floor through 17 games (a paltry 22 percent from beyond the arc) and averaging 9.2 points.

But he has scored in double figures in each of the past four games and has made 56.8 percent of his shots (21 of 37) over that span.

‘‘It means a lot to the team,’’ power forward Troy Murphy said. ‘‘He has been playing well lately, and we hope it continues.’’

It appeared obvious that Dunleavy was pressing after signing the contract. Warriors Coach Mike Montgomery acknowledged Dunleavy was ‘‘struggling mentally’’ after a four-point outing Nov. 11 against the New York Knicks.

Dunleavy says his contract wasn’t weighing on his mind.

‘‘What happened earlier in the season is a result of me just not being in a really good rhythm,’’ he said. The key is ‘‘knowing what I’m supposed to be doing out there. Now I’m getting a better idea of that, a better grasp of it, and things are going a lot better.’’

He also characterized his start to the season as an adjustment period, seeing where he fit into an offense that began its first full season with point guard Baron Davis.

Montgomery said he believes confidence has been the key for Dunleavy in recent games, and that it’s important to put him in a position where he can best use his skills.

‘‘If he gets the ball where he’s comfortable, he’s a good player,’’ Montgomery said. ‘‘He’s not a guy that can stand around. He needs to have the ball in his hands. When our assists are up, like they have been the last couple of games, generally it means we’re making shots. That means the ball is moving.’’