Diaw

He’s scored in double figures 10 times in 14 games, had two double-doubles and came within one rebound of recording the Suns’ only triple-double of the year.

He ranks third on the team in rebounds. Only Steve Nash has more assists. He passes so well, he’s the one player the Suns have to have on the floor when Nash is resting. He defends so well, he guarded Houston’s 7-foot-6 Yao Ming in one game and switched between San Antonio’s 7-foot Tim Duncan and 6-2 Tony Parker in another.

He does it all with a broad smile, an inviting handshake and a blush at any mention of his accomplishments. With a determination to get better and a work ethic that almost ensures it.

Hands down, he’s the Suns’ best acquisition of its busiest and most tumultuous summer ever. With Amaré Stoudemire’s size and Leandro Barbosa’s speed on the sideline, it’s hard to imagine Phoenix getting along without him right now.

And he’s not Raja Bell, Brian Grant, Eddie House, James Jones or Kurt Thomas.

He’s Boris Diaw, part playmaker, part defender, part stat-sheet filler. And if the Suns ever do get healthy all at once this year, ever do jell enough make another strong playoff run, he could be that wild card that gives Phoenix a winning hand.

"He’s just been a find, he really has," Suns coach Mike D’Antoni said. "This is not a gimmick. He’s a smart, athletic player who can disrupt on defense and cause havoc on the offensive end.

"If he gets into that mentality where he’s just knocking down shots all over the place — which I think he can get to — he’ll rise to the next level as a player. He’s a great kid who works hard and knows what he’s doing, and he’s 23.

"We’ll take him."

Tonight, the man Diaw was taken for, Joe Johnson, makes his return to America West Arena with the Hawks for the first time since a summer of discontent ended with his Aug. 19 sign-and-trade deal to Atlanta. It was a trade that dragged out over months and was played out on Internet sites, radio talk shows and even a Boston courtroom.

For more coverage of Phoenix sports, be sure to visit eastvalleytribune.com

The Suns also got two first-round draft picks and a $6 million trade exception — half used for James Jones, the rest still to be used later this season.

But before tonight’s 6 p.m. tipoff, Johnson and Diaw, straight up, will be the focal point for fans on both sides of the fence.

Some see Johnson — very popular over his three-plus seasons as a Sun —as a player done wrong by the organization, which balked at paying him market value while scaring away teams that would. Others see him as a greedy athlete who took the chance to be the best player on a 13-win team over a swipe at a championship.

"The fans will have some oohs and ahhs and whatever to begin with, but then it becomes just a game," D’Antoni said.

But even the fans upset at Johnson’s departure haven’t held it against the 6-9, 230-pound Frenchman who is as hard to pigeonhole as he is to guard.

"I’ve had a great time here and it’s the perfect situation for me in every way," Diaw said Saturday. "To have a chance to start and play a lot with such a good team and such good teammates . . . the trade has been wonderful for me."

SURPRISE PLAYER

The Suns have always liked Diaw. They almost drafted him in 2003, deciding instead to take Zarko Cabarkapa at 17 because of his size (6-11) and shooting ability — only to discover he couldn’t guard NBA big men.

Diaw went 21st to the Hawks, where he played in 142 games and averaged 4.8 points over two seasons, sometimes starting one game and sitting out the next — an invisible player on one of the league’s most invisible teams. Suns general manager Bryan Colangelo and assistant GM David Griffin kept in contact with the Hawks, telling them to call if they ever wanted to deal.

The Suns were told by Hawks officials that Diaw had no heart for the game. His jump shot was broken and, as such, his ability to play either guard spot was limited. After arriving at Suns training camp, tired from playing in the European Championships and sporting an aching back, Diaw’s first two weeks were less than spectacular, his place even in the 10-man playing rotation not assured.

"Then he would guard someone you didn’t think he could guard, and you said, ‘That’s nice,’ " D’Antoni said. "Then he makes a pass and you see the court vision he has, or makes a move to the hoop . . . then he hurts his ankle (against the Spurs) and comes right back when the swelling was just huge, showing you he’s tough.

"Things just started adding up."

So did Diaw’s playing time and numbers. After the neartriple-double against the Sacramento Kings, he earned a start at forward, then more at center for the struggling Thomas, averaging 13.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists and playing a key role in Phoenix’s new-found penchant for defense.

‘He’s really surprised me with how strong he is, and how he can guard big guys," D’Antoni said. "He also has a playmaker’s mentality and passes the ball extremely well, which takes pressure off Steve. The only thing he’s lacked is a consistent outside shot, but the more you say that, the more he’s knocking them down.

Assistant coach Phil Weber is the team’s shot doctor. He calls Diaw’s natural shooting motion "a yanker," drawing the ball back so far he looks more like a dart thrower. Moving his wrist forward and higher, the goal is a consistent look to every shot.

"He’s worked really hard at it," Weber said. "He wants to prove he’s a very talented, skilled player and it’s just a matter of his focus."

"He knows what kind of doors will open up if he develops that consistent shot. He’s so talented, and his potential hasn’t even started to be realized. He has a chance to be that good."

JOHNSON GOES SOUTH

With $70 million coming his way over the next five years — along with a chance to return to his southern roots and be the main man on his team — Johnson is delivering for the Hawks. Through 15 games, he leads the team in scoring, assists and minutes and scored a career-high 34 points Friday against Toronto.

But it wasn’t enough to beat the 1-15 Raptors and hasn’t been enough most nights. The Hawks are 2-13, behind the pace of last year’s 13-69 team that was the worst in the league.

"Somebody in this organization way back must have done something to somebody and now we’re paying for it," forward Al Harrington told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after Friday’s loss. "There is no explanation for us to lose this game. It just doesn’t make sense."

Some would say that about Johnson’s decision, but it was his to make. And there were nights early in the season, when the Suns lost close games when the offense failed down the stretch, that Johnson’s ability to create offense and clutch shooting was missed.

But with Stoudemire down, Grant hurting and Thomas struggling early, the Suns needed someone who could guard big men and run with Nash and Marion. And Diaw has been the answer.

"He’s the real deal," D’Antoni said. "And when we get Amaré back . . . we were awful good last year, but there is no reason we can’t be just as good.’’

COPYRIGHT 2005, EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE. Used with permission.