"Boris Diaw always prioritizes making teammates happy.

On this team, the best way to do that might be to shoot a little more and pass a little less.

As a Phoenix Sun, Diaw was surrounded by closers, a half-dozen guys who made big shots. As a Charlotte Bobcat, his options are more limited. So Diaw has been coaxed lately to look more for his own shot.

Not coincidentally, the Bobcats came off a Western trip on a three-game winning streak. They hope to maintain that momentum tonight, at home against the Chicago Bulls.

The numbers tell the tale. In the past four games (three wins and a competitive loss to the Suns), the Bobcats averaged 103 points, 10.2 better than their league-low average this season of 92.8.

In that same span, power forward Diaw averaged 21.8 points on 65 percent shooting from the field and 64 percent from 3-point range. With productivity like that, who wouldn't want him shooting?

Just keep reminding him.

"With Boris, it's always a cat-and-mouse game. He knows a lot, so you have to find ways to motivate him, almost trick him into what you want him to do sometimes," said guard Raja Bell, Diaw's teammate here and in Phoenix."