VITALS: 6-8, 203, Pau Orthez (France) OVERVIEW: Diaw has spent the last three years playing for Pau Orthez, the same team as fellow draft entrant Mickael Pietrus. Diaw began his professional career at the age of 16 in 1998. He averaged 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds last season and won the slam dunk contest two seasons ago. A superb athlete, Diaw pulled out of the draft each of the last two seasons. His mother was a former center for the French national team and his father is a described as a former Senegalese high-jump champion. Diaw played at INSEP in France, the same place where former first-round draft choice Jerome Moiso trained. LIKELY DRAFT POSITION: Mid-to-late first round. Any team could select Diaw, although Detroit (25) and Atlanta (21) seem to be the best fits. The Pistons did not have one player to average four or more assists per game last season. Atlanta would like a distributor with size to play alongside Jason Terry, who struggles to defend 2-guards because of his height. COMPARATIVE UPSIDE: Lamar Odom COMPARATIVE DOWNSIDE: Jeryl Sasser, Rodrick Rhodes, Jamie Watson ROLE PROJECTION: Key reserve POSITIVES: Diaw is a cleverly disguised point guard is a forward's body. He has tremendous size and great athleticism, which allows him to draw defensive rotation on drives and free his teammates. Diaw also passes over the top of traffic with ease. He can direct an offense from anywhere on the floor and is versatile enough to lead a break or make feeds out of the post. SHORTCOMINGS: A non-scorer, Diaw does not figure to become a productive offensive threat anytime in the near future. He is a mediocre shooter and does not have the physicality to play in the post. He gets most of his points off mid-range jumpers and transition baskets. At best, Diaw is a fourth or fifth starter who can defend, distribute and do the little things that will not show up on the stat sheet. WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: "One of the few people in the draft, who, if given space in a system, can make others around him better. He does a lot of the little things. He has a certain quiet leadership about him. He's intriguing." Phoenix Suns international scout Tim Shea
