FIBA Basketball
FRA - Diaw collects most improved award
NEW YORK (NBA) - France international Boris Diaw has been named as the most improved player in the NBA. The Phoenix Suns forward-center has more than tripled his points total from the previous two seasons this year
NEW YORK (NBA) - France international Boris Diaw has been named as the most improved player in the NBA.
The Phoenix Suns forward-center has more than tripled his points total from the previous two seasons this year - a huge improvement that his country will now seek to benefit from at the FIBA World Championship in Japan this year.
Diaw received 80 of 126 first-place votes and 489 points to beat New Orleans Hornets forward David West to the award.
A first-round pick of the Atlanta Hawks in 2003, Diaw was considered an afterthought when he was acquired by Phoenix along with two conditional first-round picks and a $6 million trade exception for guard Joe Johnson in August 2005.
Averaging just 4.6 points in his first two seasons, the 6ft 8in Diaw took advantage of an injury to All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire and playing alongside reigning MVP Steve Nash to post career highs in just about every category.
After scoring in double figures just 14 times in 142 games with the Hawks, Diaw averaged 13.3 points on 52.6% shooting. He also grabbed 6.9 rebounds and handed out 6.2 assists, joining LeBron James and Jason Kidd as the only players to average more than six in both categories.
In the post-season, Diaw is coming off a 21-point, eight-rebound and seven-assist effort in Sunday's 99-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers as the Suns fell into a 3-1 hole in their Western Conference first-round series.
PA Sport
The Phoenix Suns forward-center has more than tripled his points total from the previous two seasons this year - a huge improvement that his country will now seek to benefit from at the FIBA World Championship in Japan this year.
Diaw received 80 of 126 first-place votes and 489 points to beat New Orleans Hornets forward David West to the award.
A first-round pick of the Atlanta Hawks in 2003, Diaw was considered an afterthought when he was acquired by Phoenix along with two conditional first-round picks and a $6 million trade exception for guard Joe Johnson in August 2005.
Averaging just 4.6 points in his first two seasons, the 6ft 8in Diaw took advantage of an injury to All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire and playing alongside reigning MVP Steve Nash to post career highs in just about every category.
After scoring in double figures just 14 times in 142 games with the Hawks, Diaw averaged 13.3 points on 52.6% shooting. He also grabbed 6.9 rebounds and handed out 6.2 assists, joining LeBron James and Jason Kidd as the only players to average more than six in both categories.
In the post-season, Diaw is coming off a 21-point, eight-rebound and seven-assist effort in Sunday's 99-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers as the Suns fell into a 3-1 hole in their Western Conference first-round series.
PA Sport