Summer School: Boris Diaw

[BigSlam]

We can create a thread for each player to discuss the things you would like to see the player work on over the summer and bring to the team next season. This isn't about their contract status or a bashing thread or love fest thread or a trade thread or a player comparison thread. Just a thread of improvement ideas.

Boris: When he is"on" there are few like him in the NBA. The versatility that he brings is unique and can be very valuable.

I'd love for him to seriously work on his conditioning. With his length and coordination he should be able to leak out and create a fast break scoring easily in transition. The other thing is looking to score. No news flash here, but he has to look to put the ball in the hole a heck of a lot more than he does. He has all the skills to, he just has to want to.

Tape of guys to study: LMA (for how a mobile big should run the floor) and Zach Randolph/Al Jefferson (for two guys who LOVE to shoot when the get the ball).

What would you guys say?

[ball teacher]

Boris has offensive abilities but he is content being a passing power forward. He should have probably been the team's second leading scorer because he can shoot, and he can take it inside or out. Boris was the biggest failure in the playoffs, he played that series vs Orlando like it was a pre-season games that didn't matter. Anyways, he could definitely tone up his soft physique, he also needs to change his style of play from being a point forward to a more aggressive scoring forward. One thing I'll say is that Boris is unselfish, and he knows the game. He was the best playmaker on the team which is probably why he gets so many minutes, but he should be able to bring more to a team than being great at making the extra pass!

[Walt Cronkite]

Tape of guys to study:

In before Richard Simmons, Billy Blanks, etc.

[fatlever]

Tape of guys to study:

In before Richard Simmons, Billy Blanks, etc.

haha... what walt said.

[Walt Cronkite]

Really though, I don't know what you can do to make him be more assertive, so just get him in really good shape so he can guard as many positions as he can. Watch tape of Bruce Bowen?

[fatlever]

could you imagine how good a motivated, in great shape boris could be?

[Walt Cronkite]

"When I look at Boris Diaw, I think of Beethoven in the age of the Romantics. This guy has got it all."-Bill Walton

i want to make a joke about how he'd be the basketball unicorn, beautifully brilliant, but something you'll never see. Can't get the wording right. A motivated, in great shape Boris is an All-Star caliber player. ~15ppg, ~8rpg, ~6 APG, close to a block and a steal with good-great defense that can guard slower 3s, almost all 4s and undersized 5s.

[Bassman]

Asking Diaw to be a muscular, motivated scoring and rebounding machine is like asking a kitty cat to become a siberian tiger. Both are in the cat family, but the similarities end there.

Boris will always be an enigma; a player with gifts and skills for a man of his size, but unwilling to work hard enough or care wnough to maximize his potential. Diaw is pure French, in that he fancies his contract as a job, not a mission. He just will not commit himself to excellence or achievement. Other players in the league certainly share this lack of motivation, especially once they get their big contract.

But if he is reading this tonight while sipping some wine and enjoying more cheese, I would suggest this:

Get off your lazy butt and work it off man! Don't waste your life settling for millions of dollars that you don't really earn! See just how good you really can be in this league! If you don't measure up after one full season of giving it everything you can possibly give, then get fat, dumb and happy on our dime. But you just might like what you turn into better than that lazze fare dude you've become!

[Walt Cronkite]

Asking Diaw to be a muscular, motivated scoring and rebounding machine is like asking a kitty cat to become a siberian tiger. Both are in the cat family, but the similarities end there.

[BigSlam]

Asking Diaw to be a muscular, motivated scoring and rebounding machine is like asking a kitty cat to become a siberian tiger. Both are in the cat family, but the similarities end there.

I'm actually very ok with his rebounding. In fact I think it's a part of his game that is pretty solid. He'll never be a 10+ rpg type of guy, but he boxes out and while teamed with guys like Crash and TC, doesn't need to be a glass cleaner.

[fatlever]

im with slam on the rebounding. its something i watch alot when i go to games. tyson and boris are usually very good at boxing out their man or others. while they may not get the rebounds, they allow their teammates to get them which is all that really matters. crash, boris and tc always seemed to have great chemistry as a rebounding unit.

[Rich4114]

How about he just show up in shape this next season. You're getting paid like $9m/year, it's not too much to ask.

I'd also like him to be more aggressive scoring and learn to hit the 3 at a better clip. No more passing open shots to guys who don't have open shots.

He should study Anthony Mason.

[Walt Cronkite]

Anthony Mason is a nice suggestion.

[BigSlam]

He should study Anthony Mason.

Solid contribution Rich.

[fatlever]

god i miss mason. he would have been perfect for our team last year. or pj brown. one thing about those late 90s hornets. we always had size, rebounding and toughness.

[Bassman]

god i miss mason. he would have been perfect for our team last year. or pj brown. one thing about those late 90s hornets. we always had size, rebounding and toughness.

You're right Fats. I think we'd all love to have a blue-collar, big bruising tough guy down low who takes no prisoners on defense, can rebound out the wazoo, and have some post-up game to contribute beyond the garbage buckets.

As for Diaw being a good rebounder (per earlier comments), I would agree he does OK at times, but rebounding is still about production and desire. Diaw's RPG last season was 5.2 in an average of 35.4 MPG. That is NOT quality production from a starting PF. His rebounds per 40 minutes average is 7. That is below many small forwards and WAY BELOW Tyrus Thomas (his per 40 is 13.2). Defensively Diaw gets handled by bigger 4's, but can be an asset against quicker dudes.

Again, I'm all about Diaw getting a major dose of desire and determination. But he's not wired that way, so "C"est La Vie..."

[BigSlam]

Diaw's RPG last season was 5.2 in an average of 35.4 MPG. That is NOT quality production from a starting PF. His rebounds per 40 minutes average is 7. That is below many small forwards and WAY BELOW Tyrus Thomas (his per 40 is 13.2).

Right, and Crash rebounds as a level WAY above the standard starting SF which in part because of the work Diaw does allow him to rebound and Tyrus can only DREAM of having the court vision/handles that Diaw has.

You can't compare Diaw to Thomas. They are nothing alike.

In fact, you can't compare Diaw to pretty much any other PF in the NBA today.

[Walt Cronkite]

As for Diaw being a good rebounder (per earlier comments), I would agree he does OK at times, but rebounding is still about production and desire. Diaw's RPG last season was 5.2 in an average of 35.4 MPG. That is NOT quality production from a starting PF. His rebounds per 40 minutes average is 7. That is below many small forwards and WAY BELOW Tyrus Thomas (his per 40 is 13.2). Defensively Diaw gets handled by bigger 4's, but can be an asset against quicker dudes.

How did you misread Slam and Fat's comments? No one claimed he was a good rebounder, but that he boxes out really well, so his low rpg is something that can be looked past. Being very good at boxing out =/= being a good rebounder, but I think you're really oversimplifying to say that he doesn't get enough rpg, so he hurts our team from a rebounding perspective.

[Loney T]

I think conditioning is the biggest thing

Last Year he played allsummer but he missed a month (training camp and preseason) due to the ankle injury and an inactive month can do a lot on Boris' body
You shoul have seen how he looked like when he came in in July for the French team.
He used to be athletic back in 2006 making lots of plays above the rim...
The biggest issue with him might probably be his consitency within games (in offense) you'll see streches where he takes a seat back and just give little contribution and then he starts to make plays (driving, good passes and shots) and being more agressive for like a few minutes and then he is off again then on etc...

[SWedd523]

First he should look into some steroids. Not only will it help him turn that flab to muscle, but the roid rage would be something he could use. If not then a pair of:




I understand the two together would be counterproductive, but if he happened into either one, I wouldn't be mad.