Love the Pick

[SWISH9061]

I haven't seen him play but from what I've read he's athletic, plays good D, is a great passer and is described as being the consumate team player. I think the comparisons to Pippen are valid (including the passive/soft label) and the holes in his game can be fixed.

He was the MVP of the French League so the guy must have a solid all-around game as he averaged 7ppg.

[KB21]

NBADraft.net has him rated the 5th best European prospect, and one of those rated above him isn't even in the draft.

[HAWKSFAN]

Yeah, finally someone else who likes the pick. It seems to me most people on this board would have complained regardless of the pick.

[Guest]

He averaged 7PPG?Whata star....

[KB21]

I'm undecided. I'm perfect willing to discuss his positives as well as his negatives.

I'm not going to let my dislike of France right now get in the way.

[pathway23]

I like the pick. I think Boris Diaw will free up JT to score, and defend the 1, while Boris defends the 2. Diaw's length will enable him to block shots and play passing lanes. I think the soft label applied still to Dermarr Johnson, and Dermarr would have helped this team immensely were he available this past season. The Hawks needed size in their backcourt, they got it, now all they have to worry about is big loaf, signing JT and maybe Newble.

[Playmaker0017]

HotLanta,

Oh please... 7 PPG from a PG on a team with two legit scorers is fine. As long as he can run the offense. If he can't run the offense, we have issues.

I could care less if he can shoot. Jason Kidd couldn't shoot when he entered the league.

I am sure if this kid was American, he'd be rated higher. People are afraid of those they haven't seen.

Of course, the kid could stink.

I just think people would complain any which way. If we drafted Dampe, people would say "Why draft a 3 when we need a 1?!"

Play.

[Guest]

I don't mind us going overseas at all.I think it's

great.Having players from france/Japan or where

ever is great....but his he good enough to be a

starter?I know I'm rarely optimistic about anything..

but 7PPG and a lack of drive makes be question.We

already have soft players in JT/Shareef and Dog...do

we really need another one?

[DJ_Money]

Why draft a guy with future potential?

Because this team isn't going to win anything now. There were a very few guys in this draft who could have come in and had an immediate impact on this team.

Diaw is not a PG. Reports say he lacks aggressiveness and can't handle the ball. He's a 3, maybe a 2.

[Playmaker0017]

DJ_Money,

Diaw IS a PG. Where the lack of handling came from, I'll never know. He is also considered one of, if not the, best pure passer in the draft.

Also, as for "potential" ... the guy is a legit starter, and MVP, in his league.

Who would you have drafted at 21 that would make an impact?

Play.

[Playmaker0017]

HotLanta,

Personally, I hate seeing overseas players. I think it brings the drama and excitement out of the draft and out of watching players grow up.

It is fun to watch a guy go from high school phenom to college to pro...

You can't do that with the overseas guys.

Plus, it is hard to get excited about a guy with the last name "Grezmonivichnish". It just doesn't sound --- Jordanesque.

It isn't that I don't think they aren't skilled. Heck, I think they are MORE fundementally sound than most of our guys. It just takes a lot of the fun from me as a fan.

Play.

[DJ_Money]

When did he become a PG?

Every draft site I've looked at has him listed as a SG or SF.

PGs have to be fearless, they have to be aggressive, they have to be confident.

Diaw lacks all of those things.

Howard would have been the guy I would have taken if I wanted an immediate impact. But, I still think that this team would have been better off if we looked two years into the future. In that case...Lampe, Outlaw, Ebi, Perkins, and Barbosa would have been better picks.

[Playmaker0017]

DJ_Money,

I think most sites just don't know much about him. Everything I've heard, he is a PG.

Heck, he was even drafted and it said "PG".

As for the fearless/agressive thing... That scares me. I've heard he was a bit timid with his shot, but that it could be from the system he was in. Let's hope.

I don't want another GREAT player who is completely satiated with losing.

Play.

[Admin]

Some people just cant deny that. The Hawks will likely force him to play the 2 guard so that they can help JT, or they will move JT to the 2 guard, but the guy is a NATURAL SF, not a PG.

[DJ_Money]

People want him to be a PG, especially the people on this site. They hear "good passer" and are like "Oh my God! He can pass! That's better than any PG we have now! Diaw must be a PG!"

There's lots of guys who can pass, there's few who can run a team. Diaw doesn't sound like one of them.

[TRUATLFAN]

I don't see how that helps Jt in the backcourt. This is some of the info I found on him, http://www.geocities.com/nbarookies/2002nb...iaw-riffiod.htm

[Playmaker0017]

DJ_Money,

The thing with Daiw is that everything we know about him is hearsay.

I mean, even most of the so-called EXPERTS haven't seen a lot of the Euros.

Fact: He is 6'9"

Fact: He was playing PG

Fact: He is the MVP

Fact: He was the 21st pick... I mean, it isn't like MJ is still out there.

Play.

[DJ_Money]

Fact: He is 6'9"

-Ok, I can't dispute that.

Fact: He was playing PG

-So was JT, big deal.

Fact: He is the MVP

-Of what?

Fact: He was the 21st pick... I mean, it isn't like MJ is still out there.

-But there were better players out there, whether picking for now or the future.

[Playmaker0017]

DJ_Money,

Here it is... he filled a gap that we needed filled.

We needed another ball handler and someone who could pass... preferably someone who could defend. Whether he plays PG, SG or SF ... it allows us to rid us of Big Loaf.

It was the 21st pick. Anyone you choose at 21 is pretty much pot luck anyhow.

I would have hated to see us draft a guy that doesn't fill our needs. Like another guy who doesn't defend or ball handle well.

I mean, heck, the knock on Gaines was that he needed to work on being a PG and defense.

It is all just luck, and we may have lucked into the next Ginobli or something. He may not be a GREAT player, heck... I don't expect him to be. But, he fills a hole (cheaply).

Allows us to rid ourselves of baggage ...

Play on, Hawks. I hope you do us right in the months that come.

Play.

[DJ_Money]

Yes, he fills a gap. But he doesn't sound like much more than Newble, a guy who wasn't the answer.

I don't care about our needs right now. This teams needs to be scrapped and we need to start over. The pieces don't fit. If Diaw fits into this puzzle's frame, great. That's not going to make JT, Robinson, and SAR fit.

...and Gaines needing to work on D? That's one of the best parts of his game.

Our draft is done and so am I. I've got a brand new car sitting in my garage and I'm not going to let this get me down.