"When Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown said, "he's never going to change,'' regarding forward Boris Diaw, he did so with a tone of endearment.

Diaw is a sophisticated and unselfish player and an unconventional NBA power forward. Given a choice between taking a good shot or looking to find a teammate a great one, Diaw will pass before he'll shoot. Perhaps this season that's a problem.

"Ah, no problem,'' Diaw deflected Friday.

Certainly something has changed. Diaw has the occasional big game (28 points versus Philadelphia two weeks ago), but his impact is muted. Against Indiana Wednesday, he had eight points, one assist and no rebounds in 36 minutes. Against Dallas last Saturday, he had eight points, four rebounds and no assists in 40 minutes.

Compare that to the guy who scored in double-figures 14 of the last 15 games last season. The offense ran through him and he seemed a lock to be the first Charlotte Bobcat to assemble a triple-double.

The offense does run through him less now, right?

"Yeah, probably,'' Diaw replied. "Now we run the offense through a lot of different people.'

The dynamic seemed to change with the acquisition of Stephen Jackson. He instantly became the go-to scorer on a team badly needing one. Jackson's ability to make plays for himself and others made things easier for several Bobcats, particularly point guard Raymond Felton.

But it reduced Diaw's role as a point forward. Since Jackson's arrival 15 games ago, Diaw has exceeded four assists just twice. He totaled four assists in the past five games.

To his credit, Diaw isn't complaining."