Boris gets his first Triple-Double

[Sunstroke]

Fau and AZ have heard me yack about how much I like the newest Suns swingman, Boris Diaw (actually Diaw-Riffiod, but try marketing that sucker!), the guy we got pretty much as a throw-in from the Hawks in the Joe Johnson deal this past offseason. He'd been great so far, and has started 33 of the Suns' 44 games so far...averaging around 12 pts a game and, until recently, was one of only three players in the NBA averaging 6+ rebounds and assists per game. His assist average had dipped to 5.8 coming into tonight's game at Philly, but Boris' first career triple-double (14 pts, 11 rebs, 13 assists) should help nudge that back up. Zero turnovers as well, and most importantly, it was part of a 24 point Suns road victory over the Answer-less Sixers.

I love Boris Diaw! Plays 3 positions, plays good hustling defense, shoots 50% from the field (though his 70% from the stripe needs some work). I think I'm going to have to add a Boris Diaw #3 jersey to my collection. 

 !! GO SUNS !!

[AZ Fins Fan 55]

This kid has quickly become a fan favorite here in the land of the Sun as well. Watching Joe Johnson lose game after game in Atlanta has put more than a smile on my face. I was upset to see him leave as he was an impact player on last years team and was our best defender. But his crybaby antics and who we got in return during the offseason has really lead me to believe we got the better end of this deal. Nice job Boris on your first 3-2!!!!!

[Sunstroke]

I am very eager to see the newest international rising Sun take the court today against Da Bulls...Nikoloz Tskitishvili (Skita). I loved him as a raw Russian 7-foot prospect when the Nuggets drafted him, and honestly not surprised at all that they didn't use him right. Now that he's with the Suns, I'm hoping he can have anything like the turnaround season we're getting from Boris. Speaking of my favorite Frenchman...I love this article about Boris from John Hollinger over at ESPN, who sees Diaw as the frontrunner for the Most Improved Player award this year:

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.

"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.