DIAW HAS AN OPPORTUNITY

[Flipmode Master]

WRITTEN BY DAVID ROUNTREE

The San Antonio Spurs are in the mist of the pre-season, gearing up for another run at that allusive fifth title. Once again, they are boasting a balanced roster but with a glaring absence of scoring big men. Boris Diaw (whether he realizes it or not) has a great opportunity to be more than a bench player on this team. Can he fill the void at the center position this team has had for almost a decade?

MVP Texas | Diaw has an Opportunity

[alliask]

Originally Posted by Flipmode Master

WRITTEN BY DAVID ROUNTREE

Can he fill the void at the center position this team has had for almost a decade?

MVP Texas | Diaw has an Opportunity

No.

[MichaelWi101]

Not even a little bit.

[Uwe Blab]

Is he seriously saying that Diaw can average double digit rebounds? More like double cheeseburgers.

[tenthousandaces]

Edited! :-)

[Mombear]

awww don't be mean...

[grizzly_bexar]

Yeah, Diaw will average double digit rebounds the day Duncan leads the league in FT percentage.

Though I do think Diaw has a huge opportunity here.

Like last year, though, my main problem is that between Diaw, Bonner, Blair, and Splitter, if you combined their strengths all into one player, we would have an awesome big man. But separately they are a bunch of ill-fitting parts.

Splitter: big man with great P&R game, good postup, good ability for rotation on defense, mediocre shotblocking, mediocre rebounding.

Blair: fantastic (though declining) rebounder, good at P&R, no postup, worthless on defense except for the occasional skill, no height for shotblocking or post defense.

Bonner: Great outside shooter, above average post defender (I know, but look it up), mediocre to awful at everything else.

Diaw: skilled but tentative shooter, fantastic passer, good post defense, no shotblocking, okay rebounding.

I just don't see these guys ever really "fitting" together.

[jrtristan2003]

I think that Diaw will start because I personally think that Pop Need a big in there at all time meaning that Splitter would have to come off the bench for that.

[jrtristan2003]

I would prefer Splitter to play next to duncan but we dont have a will perdue , kevin willis or Mcdyess to come off the bench

[tenthousandaces]

Ok, sorry Mombear.

[Flipmode Master]

Diaw average almost 5 rebounds on an average of 15 mins a game...so why is it laughable he could reach double digits averaging around 34 mins a game as a starter?

[grizzly_bexar]

You need to look at the stats again. Those were not his averages. In the regular season, he averaged 4.9 rebounds in 25 minutes per game. That is a huge difference.

[doom32x4]

Just sayin....... I personally don't place much stock in an article in which "elusive" is spelled "allusive." Allusive is a word pertaining to alluding to something in speech, not something hard to grasp.

[SilverSpur]

Speaking of Bonner, I can't help but notice the usual Bonner hype has been pretty much non-existant this year in the newspaper.

Could it have something to do with all the Bonner bashin' that the fans have done all summer?

[Jose_TheGenius]

he won't replace D-Rob, but he'll realistically be the closest thing to Robert Horry since he left. Horry was a great defender (help/man) and a good rebounder while doing the intangibles, something Diaw is known for.

[grizzly_bexar]

Originally Posted by doom32x4

Just sayin....... I personally don't place much stock in an article in which "elusive" is spelled "allusive." Allusive is a word pertaining to alluding to something in speech, not something hard to grasp.

Maybe he's making an obscure literary reference your small mind couldn't grasp.

Just keeding!

[Jose_TheGenius]

Originally Posted by doom32x4

Just sayin....... I personally don't place much stock in an article in which "elusive" is spelled "allusive." Allusive is a word pertaining to alluding to something in speech, not something hard to grasp.

so if a guy makes a grammatical error in an article, you just throw it away? guess it makes since sense no one makes mistakes....or makes sense since?

nevermind, the post is now null

Originally Posted by SilverSpur

Speaking of Bonner, I can't help but notice the usual Bonner hype has been pretty much non-existant this year in the newspaper.

Could it have something to do with all the Bonner bashin' that the fans have done all summer?

his contract length and how he seems to go from shooting well early to dead horrible late has sunk in. no one's expecting anything out of him anymore.

[doom32x4]

Originally Posted by Jose_TheGenius

so if a guy makes a grammatical error in an article, you just throw it away? guess it makes since sense no one makes mistakes....or makes sense since?

Basically, If he can't take the time to correct something that obvious before he publishes, it makes me question the time he took to write it. Just shows a general carelessness. Plus, the analysis he gave isn't anything we didn't know. There was a reason Diaw ended up starting last year, he's a supremely gifted player with decent size and great instincts who has had issues with taking full advantage of his skill set.

[Flipmode Master]

Originally Posted by grizzly_bexar

You need to look at the stats again. Those were not his averages. In the regular season, he averaged 4.9 rebounds in 25 minutes per game. That is a huge difference.

Either way you are talking about 10 minutes more of playing time...thats almost extra quarter of game time...and he can get close to 10? 8-9 maybe...its NOT horrid assumption.

[Rzarector7]

Originally Posted by Flipmode Master

Either way you are talking about 10 minutes more of playing time...thats almost extra quarter of game time...and he can get close to 10? 8-9 maybe...its NOT horrid assumption.

I used to have him on my fantasy team a few years back and he would get some triple doubles! Yes he had a few. I agree with you fully there, if not 10 it's around 8 or so and that would help alot.

[Jose_TheGenius]

Originally Posted by doom32x4

Basically, If he can't take the time to correct something that obvious before he publishes, it makes me question the time he took to write it. Just shows a general carelessness. Plus, the analysis he gave isn't anything we didn't know. There was a reason Diaw ended up starting last year, he's a supremely gifted player with decent size and great instincts who has had issues with taking full advantage of his skill set.

people make mistakes and if you write an article, you'd probably leave it as it is with a mistake then correct it on a website after people have seen it since they'd be thinking you're changing your tune or message to swerve it a certain way. it's not carelessness at all.

Diaw starting was more of Bonner not being able to play starting Center, Blair being too short, and needing a balance with the bench since you can't really bench Diaw and keep a defensive presence to contest shots in the lane.

IF Eddy Curry makes the roster, it'd be a shock if Diaw starts next to Duncan and we bring Splitter off the bench with Curry. Diaw's gifts make him what he is, but just like Ginobili off the bench, balance is far more important.

[katyspursfan]

Originally Posted by Jose_TheGenius

people make mistakes and if you write an article, you'd probably leave it as it is with a mistake than correct it on a website after people have seen it since they'd be thinking you're changing your tune or message to swerve it a certain way. it's not carelessness at all.

Fixed it for you Than. Then. Two different words. Two different meanings. One spelling in the interwebs

And, you often have the ability to use 'strikethrough' when publishing a website. It shows that you made a change, and would like to indicate what you've changed.

Allusive is simply careless.

[SilverSpur]

Did I hear this right? Curry was since the top four pick in the draft?

[Rzarector7]

Originally Posted by SilverSpur

Did I hear this right? Curry was since the top four pick in the draft?

I believe the Bulls nabbed him and Chandler early, had a magazine with both of them on it back in the days.

[alh1020]

Originally Posted by Rzarector7

I believe the Bulls nabbed him and Chandler early, had a magazine with both of them on it back in the days.

Here's a couple weblinks you might find interesting regarding that 2001 draft night which included our pick of Tony Parker.

2001 NBA Draft | Basketball-Reference.com

NBA Draft 2001