haha, it's boris diaw day on 790thezone

[chillzatl]

they're going to play a tribute for him at 1:15pm today, give it a listen if you can.

[swolehawk2]

It is obvious that this guy does not watch basketball or at least the Hawks....he said Boris was the LEAST SKILLED 1st rounder...we all know that lack of skills is not Boris' problem....it is embarrasing to hear that guy talk speak about anything related to the Hawks....Chernoff I think.

[chillzatl]

he covers atlanta sports and goes to a lot of hawks games. his opinion is no less valid than ours. I'm sure he could argue his case with the best of them too.

[swolehawk2]

Well if he says that Boris lacks skill...then he is an idiot and does not know the game at all...thats my opinion.

[chillzatl]

We all have different definitions of "skill". To a guy that has a job covering sports, maybe he needs more than a few occasional good passes to consider a guy skilled.

[KB21]

These guys on right now are morons, IMO.

[swolehawk2]

Exactly

[KB21]

Boom!!

Eddie Johnson just shut those two up about Joe's ability to play point guard!!

Johnson said that Joe is a top 5 ball handler in the NBA, period. Says he is taller than people think, at least 6'8 1/2", 235 lbs, can play four positions, no shot he can't handle, will be an All-Star.

[chillzatl]

Funny stuff man, they're dogging Boris good.

They're talking with Eddie Johnson, who covers the Suns. He said that Joe CAN play the point and that he thinks he's on the verge of being an all-star.

Good stuff.

[chillzatl]

They're not dissing joe johnson or his ability to play point. They're doing what EVERYONE should do, ask the question "can a guy who hasn't played PG in the NBA, play point guard in the NBA?".

Eddie Johnson just answered their question from the perspective of a guy who has seen him develop in phoenix.

[KB21]

No. That idiot was saying "Joe Johnson ain't playing point guard."

[chillzatl]

someone needs to find these comments in an article. It seems that someone for Phoenix, possibly Colangelo, said that they were getting a "rugged defender" in Boris. Hahah, i guess you gotta make it seem good somehow.

[chillzatl]

they've done nothing but praise Joe and his signing by the Hawks. I haven't heard them say a negative thing about since the trade was announced.

[KB21]

They may not be saying any negative things, but whoever the guy is in the background was going on and on before Johnson came on about how Joe Johnson was not going to be a point guard....how playing the point position would take away from the rest of his game....how you didn't want Joe Johnson bringing the ball up against pressure or at the end of the game when you need a shot.

He was saying that like he actually knew Johnson's game.

Eddie pretty much shot that down, and I bet you don't hear that guy say a peep about Johnson's ability as a point guard.

[chillzatl]

man that was some funny [censored]... it's not often that I get a good LOL at work. that was good...

just some highlights of what was said...

Somewhere, Lon Kruger is saying "just give me one more year with him".

Boris averaged half as many fouls per game, as points.

He was almost as good as Ira Newbill.

[Playmaker0017]

Quote:

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We all have different definitions of "skill". To a guy that has a job covering sports, maybe he needs more than a few occasional good passes to consider a guy skilled.

---

Personally, I think any sportscaster that says Boris Diaw lacks skill is completely unskilled as a reporter.

I mentioned this when the Hawks initially picked Boris, and no one wanted to hear it: Boris is the kind of guy that helps a team gel. He's the Toni Kukoc. He's the guy that plays for the team and plays his role. He has no desire to "be the man". He's a team player in a system that de-emphasises the term team.

He's a passer with no one to pass to.

[Playmaker0017]

Quote:

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Boom!!

Eddie Johnson just shut those two up about Joe's ability to play point guard!!

---

Unfortunately, the Joe Johnson at PG has been attempted and was a disaster.

Quote:

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Johnson said that Joe is a top 5 ball handler in the NBA, period. Says he is taller than people think, at least 6'8 1/2", 235 lbs, can play four positions, no shot he can't handle, will be an All-Star.

---

Not a chance. The guy was a spot up shooter that cemented his 70MM contract by playing next to all-stars.

He was left open for the majority of his attempts.

He's not a guy that deserves 70MM and is not a guy to hitch a franchise to. He's a secondary piece .... at best.

Without Nash and Stoudamire, he's a good defender with no ability to stop and pop.

[chillzatl]

you should take the time to look into what he did prior to last season before you talk junk. He's definitely more than a spot up shooter. Saying otherwise makes you look like a fool.

[Playmaker0017]

Quote:

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you should take the time to look into what he did prior to last season before you talk junk. He's definitely more than a spot up shooter. Saying otherwise makes you look like a fool.

---

I'm not talking "junk".

I'm stating my opinion.

Joe Johnson, prior to last year, was a below average shooter from everywhere, including the FT line.

He's a great defender, I'll give him that. But, without his display last year, he's a guy that gets resigned by the Suns for 40-50MM.

You add a defender in his face, Joe Johnson is going to look insanely human.

I'd love him on my team as the "other" guy ... or heck "the other 4th guy"... but to be "the" guy... I don't see him as this type of player.

You don't throw 70MM at a roleplayer like Joe Johnson.

He could prove me wrong, I just don't see it.

[chillzatl]

I don't think you did..

he put up 1ppg less the previous year. THE ONLY stat on his sheet that went up considerably from one season to the next was his 3pt %.