# Boris Diaw-Riffiod is a GEM !!!



## mr_french_basketball (Jul 3, 2003)

Boris is a steal at 21!!!

Frenchmen playing in France are underated because there's no hype on them: Tony Parker was taken 28th is the 2001 draft!!!!

Boris is the French League MVP, where plays a lot of confirmed american veterans and where the defensive level is a lot better than in the NCAA (ask Bruce Bowen, who started his professionnal career in the French League...).

He didn't have incredible stats (at least in scoring) because he played in a team with lot of talents (like Mickael Pietrus, the 11th pick on this year draft). His team was by far the best team in France (only 3 looses in the entire season), with a balanced scoring and a very strong defence. Moreover, the low-pace style of play of his team don't fit with his incredible skills. He and fellow Michael Pietrus are going to explose in the NBA like Tony did. This generation of young french player is incredible, they won junior european championship three years ago and they are going to spark other teams in the European Champioship this summer.

Hawks fans are going to forgot Dion Glover very quickly...


PS: Contact me to see Boris and Michael in action on the French League Championship Game!
[email protected]


----------



## ATLien (Jun 18, 2002)

I got a few questions about Diaw. I've heard he is a great defender and a tremendous athlete. Is he good handling with the ball, and does he have good court vision?


----------



## Jwill55gRizZ (Jun 8, 2003)

Im sure he is a great defender... and perhaps a good outside shooter.. but do u think he has the capability of being a star the caliber of what tony parker will become or he destined to be a role player like Bruce Bowen?


----------



## ATLien (Jun 18, 2002)

I heard he can't shoot, but he can still get PT cause we have alot of scorers. Hopefully he can be a star 6'9 PG, but you really don't expect to get stars at #21 so nobody has those expectations on him


----------



## ATLhawksfreak (Jun 28, 2003)

Since Big Dog is suspended, Diaw might get his chance to show what he's got. I too think he will become a star.


----------



## mr_french_basketball (Jul 3, 2003)

*An answer for each one!*

GeorgiaSports : He is definitely a first class defender with really quick hands, and a tremendous athlete. He is also an unselfish and intelligent player who constently look at his teamates first. The NBA game is totally different then what he knows. He was used to be part of 5 men combinations in offense, and need to learn the two or three men game that is very important in the NBA. I think he is a better than average ball handler for his size (at the NBA level), and can help at the point. 
All depends of what hawks staff is going to ask him. I think it will be a big mistake to play him at the PG position. He can now be used as a roleplayer, but with his potential, they better have to work on his offensive aggressivity and his shooting. I really expect him to blossom into a Scottie Pippen type of player.


Jwill55gRizZ : To be honest, he don’t have the shoot to be in an NBA backcourt yet. But Tony Parker wasn’t known for his shoot in the french league, so anything is impossible with a lot of work. He is a really unselfish player, so taking the shoot is often the last solution for him, and he sometimes throw the ball more than he shoots it. But he managed to shoot at 59% in the french league, so I’m not too worry about that. When he will learn to think about scoring before getting the ball, knowing that the ball will fall in the hole, he will be a decent shooter when on rythm.
He has regularly shown his offensive potential with really impressive moves and fluid finishes. Hopefully he will be more aggressive and offensive-minded in the NBA (and not too far to become an All-Star), or he will become a precious role player if he fails too improve his weaknesses...

What’s good for him, like you said, it’s that he don’t have too much presure on him because he’s a late pick. The fact that the team as already a lot of guys who can shoot the ball can slow down his progression... It’s up to him to jump on all the opportunities he can get, and on the team to not only use him as a simple role player.

Andersen : I don’t think so but I’m not sure at 100%... He is a member of the French National team that plays in the European Championship this summer with fellow Mickael Pietrus, Tony Parker, Tariq Abdul-Wahad and Jerome Moiso. It could be also a good preperation for him to play in Summer Leagues. We will see...


I have the French League Championship Game on tape if you can’t wait to see him in action!


----------



## KB21 (Jun 20, 2003)

The NBA would be a lot better now if there were more players who understood how to play a 5 man game.

Trust me though, Boris was not drafted to be a point guard. Jason Terry is the point guard and will be the point guard for the forseeable future.

Boris was drafted because he is long, athletic, and has the skills to compliment Terry in the back court.

I think France could be a hotbed for prospects over the next couple of years. Johan Petro is already getting a lot of looks from scouts. Tahiro Sani is another outstanding prospect.


----------



## SKLB54 (Oct 13, 2002)

I too like Diaw, and project him to become a PG, but there is a bigger matter at hand.

I like that more French basketball players are coming in, Petro seems like he will be amazing. But, if I see ONE protest come up on the court... one peace sign... i think it should be allowed for the fans to come up on the court and beat the person with sticks.


----------



## MightyReds2020 (Jul 19, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>KB21</b>!
> Boris was drafted because he is long, athletic, and has the skills to compliment Terry in the back court.


That would be his PG skills on half-court offense.  

Positioning is a matter on defense more than on offense these days so I agreed Terry is definitely a PG and Diaw a swingman.


----------



## RSP83 (Nov 24, 2002)

congratulations, Hawks fans... you got a steal at #21. Boris Diaw can be that piece the Hawks are looking for. A player who can keep Big Dog, J.T and Reef happy, and most important The Fans. I put the Atlanta Hawks as my "Team to Watch" next season. I'm already a big fan of Boris Diaw. Though I'm sad that he's not with my favorite team, The Chicago Bulls, but I'm happy that he's coming to a team which can really make a good use of him. Let's just hope the chemistry's working.


----------



## FanOfAll8472 (Jun 28, 2003)

I liked the pick alright, but I'm questioning his pg experience. From what I've heard, he hasnt really played pg before. Sure, he might be a good passer with visiion and good touch, but it's soo much different handling the ball and making the key decision to start teh play. How good will he be at pg?


----------



## ATLien (Jun 18, 2002)

I think he'll see more minutes at the 3. cause dickau is a more experienced BU PG


----------



## FanOfAll8472 (Jun 28, 2003)

I thought the Hawks drafted Diaw to play 1. Cos he's a big pg who can accomadate the under-sized Jason Terry at 2. Plus, Big Dog plays 3.


----------



## RoddneyThaRippa (Jun 28, 2003)

I think this dude was a real steal. He had a nice line today in the summer league game. He's big, passes first (which is a rare commodity these days), and plays defense. A Diaw/Terry backcourt will be sick for years to come.


----------



## Hotlantadude198 (Jul 12, 2002)

This Diaw guy will be a 20MPG backup.
He doesn't seem to be able to score
and he's no exactually a point forward
either.

Team to watch?lol

What's SAR/Dog/JT going to win?What
have they won.Yeah 30 games.

We lost Glover/Newble and the only
thing we pick up is some french man
and yet we are the team to watch.

Let me know when we have a champion
ship type of team then I'll get excited.

The Hawks are a team with no storied
history so what's to say that is going
to change?ESP with a broke down
roster with no bench,no PG, and not
top 10 player.


----------



## KB21 (Jun 20, 2003)

Boris is really going to help this team, IMO. The stats put up in summer league games mean nothing, but you can get a good feel for the type of talent a player has. Boris is showing that he has wonderful vision on the court and a great instinct for getting the ball to a scorer in a position where he can score.

A while back, Don Nelson told David McDavid that he really liked his team and thought the Hawks were a player or two away from really being something special. It remains to be seen now whether this will actually become McDavid's team, but this team is a lot closer to not only being in the playoffs but actually making a move to the top of the Eastern Conference.

Last year, the only things that kept them out of the playoffs were a lack of chemistry and turnovers, which I think are related. The Hawks are the only team that finished in the top 12 in both offensive and defensive field goal percentage that didn't make the playoffs. The Hawks were the 12th best rebounding team in the NBA. They were 8th in defensive field goal percentage and 12th in offensive field goal percentage. Their problem was that they were 5th in total turnovers.

Boris is a player that will help with the turnovers. There will be less responsibility on Robinson to handle the ball now, which should allow him to get into his comfort zone more often (around 18 feet and in). Shareef won't have to come out of the post as much now. Terry won't have to make himself a spot up shooter after he passes the ball off.


----------



## mr_french_basketball (Jul 3, 2003)

*Go Boris Go!!!*

One of his incredible dunks of the 2003 Eurobasket.

rtsp://a389.r.akareal.net/ondemand/7/389/6101/v0001/nba.download.akamai.com/6101/international/1p_diaw_b_030910_hi.rm


----------



## AdamIllman (May 12, 2003)

I saw the name "Big Dog" mentioned a couple of times in this thread...if you're referring to Glenn Robinson, he was traded to Philadelphia.


----------



## ATLien (Jun 18, 2002)

No kidding, and Diaw is his potential replacement. That's why his name was mentioned


----------



## Gurpilo (Apr 22, 2003)

Of course Diaw will help on turnovers, we will make more... 

Diaw has averaged on summer league and European tournament about 5 turnovers per game. His offense has been really poor, in fact I cannot remember a performance of more than 10 points althought could help on rebounds and assists.

In the French team he wasn´t on the starting lineup, Abdul Wahad was filling that spot. You remember that guy with no minutes on the NBA?


----------



## GB (Jun 11, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Gurpilo</b>!
> Of course Diaw will help on turnovers, we will make more...



:laugh:


----------

