<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Boris Diaw of the Phoenix Suns was named the winner of the 2005-06 NBA Most Improved Player Award, the NBA announced today. The annual award is presented to a player who has made a dramatic improvement from the previous season or seasons. Diaw received a total of 489 points, including 80 first-place votes, from a panel of 126 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. New Orleans/Oklahoma City’s David West finished second with 283 points (22 first-place votes) followed by New Jersey’s Nenad Krstic with 65 points (four first-place votes). Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third place vote received</div> Source
Big thanks to Nash for this one. Must of been one of the main reasons Diaw was a contender for the award.
Well I think Diaw's 12.3 APG average in games Nash did not play along with his 12.7 PPG and 50%+ FG argue that. But of course without any analysis (which is what even the smarter guys on TV do) or even watching the guy play and realizing he creates for himself as much as any other player, runs the offense when Nash isn't on the floor, even throws better alley-oops than Nash, we could say it's because of Nash. I mean players don't improve by themselves right? Anyways, Diaw has done a good job. If you saw him in the summer he showed potential of what he could do in the season. D'Antoni moving him to a big man position has really helped, and he's been able to exploit matchups very well, and use his passing ability on a team where his teammates will actually convert.
I would have given it to David West, but it was really a toss up between the two not much you can say. Good for him he deserved it as much as anyone.
What people thought about Diaw in November <div class="quote_poster">Quoting j0se:</div><div class="quote_post">the Suns, once Amare comes back Diaw is the most underrated player in the NBA</div> <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Run BJM:</div><div class="quote_post">Hes quickly becoming overrated. Good player but people make him out to be Scottie Pippen.</div> <div class="quote_poster">Quoting og15:</div><div class="quote_post">Not really, the only thing is that Diaw just broke out, he wasn't underatted in Atlanta. The Suns system works great for him, he can finally showcase his playmaking and passing skills, they allow him to shoot and gain confidence as a scorer, and his all-round game helps them. You can't really be the most underatted when you haven't even had one good season under your belt yet.</div> if Suns system was designed to play more defense, Diaw would be a canidate for all NBA defender. Phoneix has 3 very good defenders in Bell, Diaw, and Marion. I think next season they should balance their offense and defense more. Diaw is going to be a star, the only thing he lacks is that he's not a GREAT shooter, but average. His prime 20 ppg 52% FG 8 rebs 8 assist 1 stl 1.5 blks
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting j0se:</div><div class="quote_post">What people thought about Diaw in November if Suns system was designed to play more defense, Diaw would be a canidate for all NBA defender. Phoneix has 3 very good defenders in Bell, Diaw, and Marion. I think next season they should balance their offense and defense more. Diaw is going to be a star, the only thing he lacks is that he's not a GREAT shooter, but average. His prime 20 ppg 52% FG 8 rebs 8 assist 1 stl 1.5 blks</div> If he consistenly knocks down his mid-range jumper he would score much more. You can tell during Laker games, because he's a big man and faster than all of the others and because of that the big men don't guard him out that far, because he can beat them off the dribble. If he had that shot the Suns would probably control the series. Who knows about next season though with Amare being back. He probably won't get those open shots.
I'm happy Boris Won this prestigious award, after reading the article in ESPN on him recently showing that he's really nice to fans and thats he just basically a nice guy. But I'm very confused why Mike James wasn't even MENTIONED! The man went from getting 11 ppg to now getting 20 ppg! He went from 3 apg to 6 apg! The man got robbed.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SP23:</div><div class="quote_post">If he consistenly knocks down his mid-range jumper he would score much more. You can tell during Laker games, because he's a big man and faster than all of the others and because of that the big men don't guard him out that far, because he can beat them off the dribble. If he had that shot the Suns would probably control the series. Who knows about next season though with Amare being back. He probably won't get those open shots.</div> He doesn't do a bad job on his mid-range jumper at all, I'd actually argue that it's quite consistent. Diaw hit's 41% of his jumpers, that's not bad at all considering he's assisted on 59%, and many people seem to think his shot is bad. I don't think him having that shot would change the series because he does. When you look at the MIP award recently though, everyone that get's it for the most part remains a good player and/or improves even more down the road: Bobby Simmons Zach Randolph Gilbert Arenas Jermaine O'neal Tracy McGrady Jalen Rose DA etc... So this spells good things for Diaw that he's won this award.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> But I'm very confused why Mike James wasn't even MENTIONED! The man went from getting 11 ppg to now getting 20 ppg! He went from 3 apg to 6 apg! The man got robbed.</div> True..But, he didn't get robbed. He was a bench player back in Houston, and didn't get enough time to prove that he can score 20 ppg. But now in Toronto, he was switched to become part of the starting line up. It's a way different story if you look at it in a different way.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting og15:</div><div class="quote_post">He doesn't do a bad job on his mid-range jumper at all, I'd actually argue that it's quite consistent. Diaw hit's 41% of his jumpers, that's not bad at all considering he's assisted on 59%, and many people seem to think his shot is bad. I don't think him having that shot would change the series because he does. When you look at the MIP award recently though, everyone that get's it for the most part remains a good player and/or improves even more down the road: Bobby Simmons Zach Randolph Gilbert Arenas Jermaine O'neal Tracy McGrady Jalen Rose DA etc... So this spells good things for Diaw that he's won this award.</div> Yeah, sorry. I wasn't sure about the regular season, because I didn't get to watch Suns games. But, I was just going on the last playoff game, where he wasn't knocking much of them down. Not last night, the game before that. He did amazing last night and made like a ton of free throws in a row.
