TSN's Deveny on Erick Strickland

["Josh Ozersky" <jozersky1@nyc.rr.com>]

Interesting thought, but moot once Kenny comes back and Strick heads back to
the shelf...

start:

Watching the Celtics over the last few weeks, the case could be made that
their playoff hopes rest not with the All-Stars -- Paul Pierce and Antoine
Walker -- but with a more subtle name on the roster: Erick Strickland.

Strickland's playing time had pretty much dwindled to nil after Boston
acquired Tony Delk from the Suns, but over the last 10 days that has changed,
and with good reason. Delk is a better scorer than Strickland (who is a
streaky, though crafty, shooter), but Strickland is a much better defender. He
is 6-3, has a strong upper body and weighs 210.

The Celtics have struggled defensively in the past month, and more playing
time for Strickland seems to be the cure. In the last five games, with
Strickland averaging 27 minutes, the Celtics have yielded just 87.4 points per
game. In the five previous games, with Strickland averaging seven minutes, the
Celtics allowed 97.2 points.

Thinking about Strickland got me thinking about afterthought players who could
have a major impact on playoff teams down the stretch and into the postseason.
That, of course, got me thinking about a list: Which five unsung players will
have a big impact on playoff teams? I offer my list below, and, as always, I
welcome your criticism, changes and other insults.