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Utah Jazz 2016-17 season review: Boris Diaw

By Adam Coffman

Apr 30, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) defends Utah Jazz center Boris Diaw (33) in the second period of game seven of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) defends Utah Jazz center Boris Diaw (33) in the second period of game seven of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 1, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) defends against Utah Jazz center Boris Diaw (33) during the first quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) defends against Utah Jazz center Boris Diaw (33) during the first quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

Strengths

In his prime, Diaw’s game was built on his versatility and awareness, and even in his more physically declined state, those elements show through.

Although he only averaged 2.3 assists per game, Diaw would frequently zip an interior pass to Rudy Gobert or make a skip read in a pick-and-roll situation. On the year, Gobert shot 78.6 percent off of passes from Diaw, while Joe Ingles made 60 percent of his three-pointers in the same situation.

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On his own, Diaw isn’t a scorer in the post or pick-and-roll given his lack of leaping ability and power, scoring 0.82 and 0.55 points per possession in such situations, respectively.

Factoring in passes, where he has traditionally made his mark, gives us a whole new perspective though. Points per possession jump to 0.94 for post-ups and 1.08 in the pick-and-roll, the latter of which ranks in the 92nd percentile, per NBA.com. This effect is of course boosted by the Jazz’s motion-heavy offense, but it can’t be overlooked in terms of importance.

Despite his unconventional physical profile, Diaw has been regarded as a plus defender over the course of his career due to his IQ. Last season he graded out in the 81st and 71st percentiles defending spot-ups and isolation offense.

He also provides value in ways that can’t be measured, serving as a mentor and reliable presence to the younger Jazz players, particularly countryman Rudy Gobert.

Although his shooting over the course of the season left a lot to be desired, Diaw’s outside stroke shone through in two important areas. In the playoffs, he shot 6-of-14 from behind the arc and 24-of-48 overall, although his defense against Blake Griffin did prevent him from making too big an impact.

For another, Diaw shot 43 percent on corner threes, a staple shot for modern stretch-4s and the Jazz offense. As he gets older, his strengths have and will continue to fade, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t areas where he can contribute.

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