Friday, February 3, 2006
Diaw leads strong group of Most Improved candidates
By John Hollinger
ESPN Insider
When it comes to breakout years, few can match what Phoenix Suns forward Boris Diaw has done this season.
When we last saw the 23-year-old Frenchman, he was mired at the end of the bench for the lowly Atlanta Hawks. After briefly breaking into the starting lineup as a rookie, he quickly fell out of the rotation in his sophomore season and by the end of the year rarely saw action. When he did play, his inability to connect from long range and his reluctance to shoot from any range were a constant source of frustration. He was, arguably, the worst player on the worst team in the league.
That all changed when he arrived in Phoenix as a throw-in to the sign-and-trade deal for Joe Johnson. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni thought the 6-foot-8 Diaw's combination of size and versatility would be an asset in Phoenix's open-court system and figured Diaw might be a diamond in the rough. But even D'Antoni wasn't totally sure.
Boris Diaw
Boris Diaw has soared beyond the Suns' expectations.
"I thought he could be effective as a four or five," said D'Antoni. "But I didn't know if he could guard fours or fives because he always played one, two or three [in Atlanta]. ... Then he came in and he could guard fours and fives really well. That just opened his whole game up, because he can drive to the basket, he plays like a point guard at the four position, and we can run offense through him."
Diaw took that opportunity and ran with it, thriving as a power forward in the Suns' small-ball lineup and creating nightly mismatches with his varied skills. He averages 11.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists for the Pacific Division-leading Suns. Additionally, Diaw is shooting 49.7 percent and has keyed one of the league's most improved defenses. As a result, he's one of the favorites to win this year's Most Improved Player award.
Diaw credits a better fit in Phoenix for his sudden blooming.
"The philosophy of the game, they way we play here in Phoenix, it's really unselfish," said Diaw in his French accent. "A lot of passes, a lot of shots, a lot of up and down. The game is faster, too. When I'm on the court I'm able to read better and make passes to my teammates because I know where they're going to be."
Needless to say, his exploits have left those who saw him in Atlanta flabbergasted. While many Hawks fans complained that the team gave up too much by sending two No. 1s to the Suns for Johnson, absolutely nobody said a peep about throwing Diaw into the deal. His hesitant offense made him a bad fit in the backcourt, and the Hawks' overcrowded forward position made moving him to the frontcourt impossible.
"You've got to be happy for a player like that." his former coach, Mike Woodson, said. "I think he's always had skills. I think the fact they're playing him at the four and five has put him in a position where he's found a niche for his game."
That's not to say Diaw is done enduring growing pains. His shooting remains a work in progress -- 20 percent on 3s, 69.3 percent from the line -- and the passive play that marked his years in Atlanta still creeps to the fore once in a while. For instance, during one sequence in his return to Atlanta last week, Diaw caught a pass in the lane and had a chance to post up from short range. Instead he took a dribble, surveyed his options and fed the ball back out to the perimeter, earning a three-second violation for his efforts.
"He's still got to be more aggressive, he's still got to dunk with authority, he's still got to work on his shot," said D'Antoni. "He has those [reluctant to shoot] tendencies, but you can't get upset with him. That's how he plays, that's his game. He'll do that, but I think little by little we can get him to be a little bit more aggressive in finishing."
Despite D'Antoni's efforts, Diaw isn't planning to go on a Kobe-esque gunning rampage anytime soon. That unselfishness, though taken to extremes at times in Atlanta, is part of his style.
"I don't think I changed a lot," said Diaw of his breakout. "I still play the same way, kind of a versatile player. I got better for sure, I get better every year, but I don't think I changed as a player."
Regardless, he's changed enough to have the inside track on the Most Improved trophy. "I didn't realize he was this good," admitted D'Antoni, even though the Suns had been interested in Diaw since he was playing professionally in France.
But the race isn't over just yet. Here's a look at some others who figure to get votes for Most Improved (in alphabetical order):
• Steve Blake, Portland Trail Blazers: Blake was a free agent in the offseason and wasn't exactly overcome with offers after shooting .328 in Washington. He finally landed in Portland, where he figured to be the third-string point guard behind Sebastian Telfair and rookie Jarrett Jack. Instead, Blake has nearly doubled his PER, taken over the starting job and helped make the Blazers much more respectable of late.
• Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors: In his third pro season, Bosh has taken another big step forward, launching himself past Carmelo Anthony as the third-best player from the loaded 2003 draft. Bosh's averages of 22.6 points and 9.1 rebounds are so impressive that he'll probably pull off the rare feat of making the All-Star squad despite playing for a horrible team. It's not like he's just been firing away for a bad team, either -- he's hitting 50.6 percent from the floor and 81.5 percent from the line.
• Elton Brand, Los Angeles Clippers: With a new commitment to conditioning and an improved mid-range jump shot, Brand has pushed himself into the MVP race and kept the Clippers on pace for a rare playoff berth. The lighter-on-his-feet Brand is averaging career highs of 24.9 points and 2.6 blocks while shooting a sizzling 52.3 percent from the floor. He's been so good, in fact, that the Western Conference coaches might not be able to shaft him this time when picking reserves for the All-Star Game.
• Josh Howard, Dallas Mavericks: Who says four-year college players can't become stars? Howard is another stud from the 2003 draft, stolen at the end of the first round by the Mavs, who've watched him become the second-best player on what is arguably the league's second-best team. His numbers (15.8 points, 6.9 boards) are solid rather than spectacular, but he has one of the league's lowest turnover rates and is a major reason Dallas has improved so much defensively. When he plays at least 15 minutes, the Mavs are a Pistons-like 30-7.
• Andres Nocioni, Chicago Bulls: I didn't include any second-year players on this list except Nocioni, because in general we expect those guys to make sharp improvements. (Besides, have you seen the sophs this year? Ugh.)
Nocioni is the exception, for two reasons. First, he was a much older rookie -- coming to the league at 25 -- so nobody expected him to take a major step up in year two. Second, of all the players to play more than 2,000 minutes or 70 games in 2004-05 and on pace to do so again in 2005-06, he's improved his PER more than anyone except Bosh (see chart).
Now that he's accustomed to the NBA's longer 3-point line, Nocioni has nearly doubled his 3-point accuracy -- from a miserable 25.8 percent to a nearly league-leading 47.5 percent. With that threat established, he can also use shot fakes to set up his drives to the basket. Unfortunately, he's playing fewer minutes because Luol Deng is healthy again, but that's not his fault.
Biggest PER improvement, 2004-05 to 2005-06*
Players 2005-06 PER 2004-05 PER Difference
Chris Bosh 23.55 17.54 6.01
Andres Nocioni 15.75 9.96 5.79
Kobe Bryant 28.83 23.28 5.55
Chauncey Billups 24.32 19.05 5.27
Elton Brand 27.76 22.54 5.22
*Players with 70 games or 2,000 minutes in 2004-05 and on pace for the same in 2005-06
• Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs: Stat of the year: Parker, not Shaquille O'Neal or Tim Duncan, leads the NBA in points in the paint. Yes, it's been beaten to death, but it's still amazing. Diaw's teammate on les blues has done so largely by eschewing the 3-pointer -- he's tried only 22 all year -- in favor of repeatedly driving to the rim for layups and short floaters. The change appears to have worked, as he is shooting 54.8 percent (!), good for second-best in the NBA, and should be making his first All-Star appearance.
• Smush Parker, Los Angeles Lakers: Of course, Tony might not even be the most improved Parker. Smush's career seemed headed straight to nowhere until he arrived in L.A., but he's taken over the starting point guard job for a Lakers team that appears playoff bound. He's not just handing off to Kobe either, putting up 11.5 points and snatching 1.6 steals.
• Gerald Wallace, Charlotte Bobcats: It's no accident that the Bobcats dropped 13 in a row after Wallace went out of the lineup -- the 'Cats are a quasi-respectable 9-21 when Wallace plays at least 15 minutes, and a putrid 2-15 when he doesn't. The high-flying forward leads the NBA in steals and is 10th in blocks, a rare defensive double whammy normally reserved for the likes of David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon, and he's also upped his field-goal percentage nearly a hundred percentage points. The league's other 29 teams should be embarrassed right now. They paid scant attention to Wallace in the free-agent market this past summer.
• David West, Hornets: Chris Paul might be the biggest reason for New Orleans/Oklahoma City's surprise playoff run, but West's development runs a close second. After a sophomore season that was ruined by injuries and poor shot selection, West showed up this year with a greatly improved jump shot and shrewder judgment regarding when to use it. That has upped his field-goal mark from .436 to .512, and he's improved his other numbers to 17.0 points and 8.0 boards per game -- all of which makes him the biggest threat to Diaw for the award.
John Hollinger writes for ESPN Insider. His book "Pro Basketball Forecast: 2005-06" is available at Amazon.com and Potomac Books. To e-mail him, click here.
Diaw leads strong group of Most Improved candidates
By John Hollinger
ESPN Insider
When it comes to breakout years, few can match what Phoenix Suns forward Boris Diaw has done this season.
When we last saw the 23-year-old Frenchman, he was mired at the end of the bench for the lowly Atlanta Hawks. After briefly breaking into the starting lineup as a rookie, he quickly fell out of the rotation in his sophomore season and by the end of the year rarely saw action. When he did play, his inability to connect from long range and his reluctance to shoot from any range were a constant source of frustration. He was, arguably, the worst player on the worst team in the league.
That all changed when he arrived in Phoenix as a throw-in to the sign-and-trade deal for Joe Johnson. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni thought the 6-foot-8 Diaw's combination of size and versatility would be an asset in Phoenix's open-court system and figured Diaw might be a diamond in the rough. But even D'Antoni wasn't totally sure.
Boris Diaw
Boris Diaw has soared beyond the Suns' expectations.
"I thought he could be effective as a four or five," said D'Antoni. "But I didn't know if he could guard fours or fives because he always played one, two or three [in Atlanta]. ... Then he came in and he could guard fours and fives really well. That just opened his whole game up, because he can drive to the basket, he plays like a point guard at the four position, and we can run offense through him."
Diaw took that opportunity and ran with it, thriving as a power forward in the Suns' small-ball lineup and creating nightly mismatches with his varied skills. He averages 11.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists for the Pacific Division-leading Suns. Additionally, Diaw is shooting 49.7 percent and has keyed one of the league's most improved defenses. As a result, he's one of the favorites to win this year's Most Improved Player award.
Diaw credits a better fit in Phoenix for his sudden blooming.
"The philosophy of the game, they way we play here in Phoenix, it's really unselfish," said Diaw in his French accent. "A lot of passes, a lot of shots, a lot of up and down. The game is faster, too. When I'm on the court I'm able to read better and make passes to my teammates because I know where they're going to be."
Needless to say, his exploits have left those who saw him in Atlanta flabbergasted. While many Hawks fans complained that the team gave up too much by sending two No. 1s to the Suns for Johnson, absolutely nobody said a peep about throwing Diaw into the deal. His hesitant offense made him a bad fit in the backcourt, and the Hawks' overcrowded forward position made moving him to the frontcourt impossible.
"You've got to be happy for a player like that." his former coach, Mike Woodson, said. "I think he's always had skills. I think the fact they're playing him at the four and five has put him in a position where he's found a niche for his game."
That's not to say Diaw is done enduring growing pains. His shooting remains a work in progress -- 20 percent on 3s, 69.3 percent from the line -- and the passive play that marked his years in Atlanta still creeps to the fore once in a while. For instance, during one sequence in his return to Atlanta last week, Diaw caught a pass in the lane and had a chance to post up from short range. Instead he took a dribble, surveyed his options and fed the ball back out to the perimeter, earning a three-second violation for his efforts.
"He's still got to be more aggressive, he's still got to dunk with authority, he's still got to work on his shot," said D'Antoni. "He has those [reluctant to shoot] tendencies, but you can't get upset with him. That's how he plays, that's his game. He'll do that, but I think little by little we can get him to be a little bit more aggressive in finishing."
Despite D'Antoni's efforts, Diaw isn't planning to go on a Kobe-esque gunning rampage anytime soon. That unselfishness, though taken to extremes at times in Atlanta, is part of his style.
"I don't think I changed a lot," said Diaw of his breakout. "I still play the same way, kind of a versatile player. I got better for sure, I get better every year, but I don't think I changed as a player."
Regardless, he's changed enough to have the inside track on the Most Improved trophy. "I didn't realize he was this good," admitted D'Antoni, even though the Suns had been interested in Diaw since he was playing professionally in France.
But the race isn't over just yet. Here's a look at some others who figure to get votes for Most Improved (in alphabetical order):
• Steve Blake, Portland Trail Blazers: Blake was a free agent in the offseason and wasn't exactly overcome with offers after shooting .328 in Washington. He finally landed in Portland, where he figured to be the third-string point guard behind Sebastian Telfair and rookie Jarrett Jack. Instead, Blake has nearly doubled his PER, taken over the starting job and helped make the Blazers much more respectable of late.
• Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors: In his third pro season, Bosh has taken another big step forward, launching himself past Carmelo Anthony as the third-best player from the loaded 2003 draft. Bosh's averages of 22.6 points and 9.1 rebounds are so impressive that he'll probably pull off the rare feat of making the All-Star squad despite playing for a horrible team. It's not like he's just been firing away for a bad team, either -- he's hitting 50.6 percent from the floor and 81.5 percent from the line.
• Elton Brand, Los Angeles Clippers: With a new commitment to conditioning and an improved mid-range jump shot, Brand has pushed himself into the MVP race and kept the Clippers on pace for a rare playoff berth. The lighter-on-his-feet Brand is averaging career highs of 24.9 points and 2.6 blocks while shooting a sizzling 52.3 percent from the floor. He's been so good, in fact, that the Western Conference coaches might not be able to shaft him this time when picking reserves for the All-Star Game.
• Josh Howard, Dallas Mavericks: Who says four-year college players can't become stars? Howard is another stud from the 2003 draft, stolen at the end of the first round by the Mavs, who've watched him become the second-best player on what is arguably the league's second-best team. His numbers (15.8 points, 6.9 boards) are solid rather than spectacular, but he has one of the league's lowest turnover rates and is a major reason Dallas has improved so much defensively. When he plays at least 15 minutes, the Mavs are a Pistons-like 30-7.
• Andres Nocioni, Chicago Bulls: I didn't include any second-year players on this list except Nocioni, because in general we expect those guys to make sharp improvements. (Besides, have you seen the sophs this year? Ugh.)
Nocioni is the exception, for two reasons. First, he was a much older rookie -- coming to the league at 25 -- so nobody expected him to take a major step up in year two. Second, of all the players to play more than 2,000 minutes or 70 games in 2004-05 and on pace to do so again in 2005-06, he's improved his PER more than anyone except Bosh (see chart).
Now that he's accustomed to the NBA's longer 3-point line, Nocioni has nearly doubled his 3-point accuracy -- from a miserable 25.8 percent to a nearly league-leading 47.5 percent. With that threat established, he can also use shot fakes to set up his drives to the basket. Unfortunately, he's playing fewer minutes because Luol Deng is healthy again, but that's not his fault.
Biggest PER improvement, 2004-05 to 2005-06*
Players 2005-06 PER 2004-05 PER Difference
Chris Bosh 23.55 17.54 6.01
Andres Nocioni 15.75 9.96 5.79
Kobe Bryant 28.83 23.28 5.55
Chauncey Billups 24.32 19.05 5.27
Elton Brand 27.76 22.54 5.22
*Players with 70 games or 2,000 minutes in 2004-05 and on pace for the same in 2005-06
• Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs: Stat of the year: Parker, not Shaquille O'Neal or Tim Duncan, leads the NBA in points in the paint. Yes, it's been beaten to death, but it's still amazing. Diaw's teammate on les blues has done so largely by eschewing the 3-pointer -- he's tried only 22 all year -- in favor of repeatedly driving to the rim for layups and short floaters. The change appears to have worked, as he is shooting 54.8 percent (!), good for second-best in the NBA, and should be making his first All-Star appearance.
• Smush Parker, Los Angeles Lakers: Of course, Tony might not even be the most improved Parker. Smush's career seemed headed straight to nowhere until he arrived in L.A., but he's taken over the starting point guard job for a Lakers team that appears playoff bound. He's not just handing off to Kobe either, putting up 11.5 points and snatching 1.6 steals.
• Gerald Wallace, Charlotte Bobcats: It's no accident that the Bobcats dropped 13 in a row after Wallace went out of the lineup -- the 'Cats are a quasi-respectable 9-21 when Wallace plays at least 15 minutes, and a putrid 2-15 when he doesn't. The high-flying forward leads the NBA in steals and is 10th in blocks, a rare defensive double whammy normally reserved for the likes of David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon, and he's also upped his field-goal percentage nearly a hundred percentage points. The league's other 29 teams should be embarrassed right now. They paid scant attention to Wallace in the free-agent market this past summer.
• David West, Hornets: Chris Paul might be the biggest reason for New Orleans/Oklahoma City's surprise playoff run, but West's development runs a close second. After a sophomore season that was ruined by injuries and poor shot selection, West showed up this year with a greatly improved jump shot and shrewder judgment regarding when to use it. That has upped his field-goal mark from .436 to .512, and he's improved his other numbers to 17.0 points and 8.0 boards per game -- all of which makes him the biggest threat to Diaw for the award.
John Hollinger writes for ESPN Insider. His book "Pro Basketball Forecast: 2005-06" is available at Amazon.com and Potomac Books. To e-mail him, click here.
