spectre
09-17-2009, 12:00 PM
Nice read on Boris from Dime:
Dime Mag (http://dimemag.com/2009/09/the-nbas-30-best-go-to-players-29-boris-diaw/)
Every NBA team has a go-to guy, and there’s really only room for one. It’s not about who always gets to take the last-second shot. More realistically, it’s the guy who regularly gets the ball when things are getting tense in the fourth quarter (http://dimemag.com/2009/09/ranking-the-nbas-go-to-players-30-rip-hamilton/); it’s the guy who is expected to calm things down when teammates are getting sloppy; it’s the guy who is called upon to snuff out an opponent’s rally, or spark a comeback rally of his own; it’s the guy who’s not just supposed to make shots, but make the right decisions when a shot isn’t there. Bottom line: Who do you want the offense to run through when everything is on the line?
I’ve identified who I think is each team’s go-to guy for this upcoming season, and ranked them from #30 to #1.
*** *** ***
#29: BORIS DIAW, Charlotte Bobcats (http://dimemag.com/2009/03/the-nbas-playoff-darkhorse/)
Your go-to guy doesn’t have to be your best all-around player, or even your most talented scorer. The NBA’s best example of that line of thinking: Boris Diaw. He falls behind Gerald Wallace in terms of being Charlotte’s best player, and doesn’t match Ray Felton (if Ray re-signs) as their best scorer, but soon after coming to the Bobcats in a December ‘08 trade, Diaw became the guy Larry Brown depended on in crunch-time to generate offense from his hybrid power forward/small forward position.
To steal Gerald Narciso’s analogy, the Bobcats’ roster is like the cast of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” without Will Smith (http://dimemag.com/2009/09/bobcats-one-star-away-from-the-playoffs/). They don’t have an identifiable “star” in the traditional sense, but if anybody had to carry an episode in Will’s absence, Diaw would be their Carlton Banks. He averaged 15.1 points, 5.9 boards and 4.9 assists in his 59 games with the ‘Cats last season, hitting 41% from three.
On Jan. 27, a Bobcats/Lakers game that became more known for Andrew Bynum getting all riot cop on Wallace represented Charlotte’s best crunch-time efforts against the eventual champions. Diaw posted 23 points, nine boards and nine assists in a double-OT road win (http://dimemag.com/2009/01/dime-smack-mo-williams-43-points-lebron-triple-double-lakers-bobcats-double-overtime-all-star-2009/), showcasing the all-around offensive skill set that makes him the ‘Cats true go-to guy.
Diaw comes at the defense from different angles; not just taking the ball up-top or in the low-post. His deceptive/awkward drives from those angles allow him to get short hook shots and pull-up jumpers from high-percentage spots, or to kick out to shooters around the arc or lob it to finishers at the rim. Depending on who’s guarding him, Diaw can go to the post or take his man off the dribble, and is good for a timely three-pointer here and there. He can handle the ball and pass well for a forward, and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time for garbage buckets, putbacks and creating second-shot opportunities.
However, Diaw isn’t a reliable jump shooter (http://dimemag.com/2009/04/the-bobcats-cant-shoot/), especially from long range, and he’s often at an athletic disadvantage to his defender. He also doesn’t have a lot of reps as the go-to guy; not even on the French national team, where everything runs through Tony Parker.
But with the Bobcats failing to pick up a real offensive threat in the offseason and Tyson Chandler representing an offensive downgrade from Emeka Okafor, the responsibility on Diaw’s shoulders is even greater (http://dimemag.com/2009/08/5-things-i-think-i-know-about-the-southeast-division/). If he comes into camp in shape — which shouldn’t be a problem given he’s been playing with Team France this summer — he’ll at least give the ‘Cats a fighting chance.
Dime Mag (http://dimemag.com/2009/09/the-nbas-30-best-go-to-players-29-boris-diaw/)
Every NBA team has a go-to guy, and there’s really only room for one. It’s not about who always gets to take the last-second shot. More realistically, it’s the guy who regularly gets the ball when things are getting tense in the fourth quarter (http://dimemag.com/2009/09/ranking-the-nbas-go-to-players-30-rip-hamilton/); it’s the guy who is expected to calm things down when teammates are getting sloppy; it’s the guy who is called upon to snuff out an opponent’s rally, or spark a comeback rally of his own; it’s the guy who’s not just supposed to make shots, but make the right decisions when a shot isn’t there. Bottom line: Who do you want the offense to run through when everything is on the line?
I’ve identified who I think is each team’s go-to guy for this upcoming season, and ranked them from #30 to #1.
*** *** ***
#29: BORIS DIAW, Charlotte Bobcats (http://dimemag.com/2009/03/the-nbas-playoff-darkhorse/)
Your go-to guy doesn’t have to be your best all-around player, or even your most talented scorer. The NBA’s best example of that line of thinking: Boris Diaw. He falls behind Gerald Wallace in terms of being Charlotte’s best player, and doesn’t match Ray Felton (if Ray re-signs) as their best scorer, but soon after coming to the Bobcats in a December ‘08 trade, Diaw became the guy Larry Brown depended on in crunch-time to generate offense from his hybrid power forward/small forward position.
To steal Gerald Narciso’s analogy, the Bobcats’ roster is like the cast of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” without Will Smith (http://dimemag.com/2009/09/bobcats-one-star-away-from-the-playoffs/). They don’t have an identifiable “star” in the traditional sense, but if anybody had to carry an episode in Will’s absence, Diaw would be their Carlton Banks. He averaged 15.1 points, 5.9 boards and 4.9 assists in his 59 games with the ‘Cats last season, hitting 41% from three.
On Jan. 27, a Bobcats/Lakers game that became more known for Andrew Bynum getting all riot cop on Wallace represented Charlotte’s best crunch-time efforts against the eventual champions. Diaw posted 23 points, nine boards and nine assists in a double-OT road win (http://dimemag.com/2009/01/dime-smack-mo-williams-43-points-lebron-triple-double-lakers-bobcats-double-overtime-all-star-2009/), showcasing the all-around offensive skill set that makes him the ‘Cats true go-to guy.
Diaw comes at the defense from different angles; not just taking the ball up-top or in the low-post. His deceptive/awkward drives from those angles allow him to get short hook shots and pull-up jumpers from high-percentage spots, or to kick out to shooters around the arc or lob it to finishers at the rim. Depending on who’s guarding him, Diaw can go to the post or take his man off the dribble, and is good for a timely three-pointer here and there. He can handle the ball and pass well for a forward, and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time for garbage buckets, putbacks and creating second-shot opportunities.
However, Diaw isn’t a reliable jump shooter (http://dimemag.com/2009/04/the-bobcats-cant-shoot/), especially from long range, and he’s often at an athletic disadvantage to his defender. He also doesn’t have a lot of reps as the go-to guy; not even on the French national team, where everything runs through Tony Parker.
But with the Bobcats failing to pick up a real offensive threat in the offseason and Tyson Chandler representing an offensive downgrade from Emeka Okafor, the responsibility on Diaw’s shoulders is even greater (http://dimemag.com/2009/08/5-things-i-think-i-know-about-the-southeast-division/). If he comes into camp in shape — which shouldn’t be a problem given he’s been playing with Team France this summer — he’ll at least give the ‘Cats a fighting chance.