Varejao among key role players to watch in playoffs

	Anderson Varejao (right) does all the dirty work off the bench for the Cavaliers. AP
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PHILADELPHIA -- There is no pizzazz in being a reserve. Your name is not announced in a blaze of pyrotechnics. Rarely do you share in the glory. For most reserves, your role is to get your team through the second and third quarters without coughing up too much of the lead. You are a placeholder, a grunt, a member of a supporting cast.

You are Anderson Varejao.

There was barely a murmur from the 17,693 inside the Wachovia Center when the Cavaliers' big man checked into Tuesday night's game against the 76ers with just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter. Nobody looked up. Nobody cared. This wasn't LeBron James. This was a 6-foot-10 Brazilian with a mop-top.

Here's the thing about players like Varejao. They matter -- a lot. While James is unquestionably the key to Cleveland's playoff success, Varejao's presence in the lineup is a big piece of the puzzle.

"He's the X-factor," an Eastern Conference scout said. "He does so much for that team without even touching the ball. He sets screens. He takes charges. He gets the other team's big men in foul trouble. He does all the dirty work no one wants to do and he does it better than most players in this league do."

In the playoffs the Cavs will need the undivided attention of Varejao, who averaged 6.8 points and 6.7 rebounds in 23.9 minutes during the regular season.

"When he's focused, he is one of the best players we have," Cavaliers guard David Wesley said. "The problems come when he is playing angry or his head isn't into it. He's not much help when that happens."

There will be plenty of superstars seizing the limelight over the next few months, but let's take a look at a few players like Varejao whose presence is vital to their team's success -- even if they do fly under the radar.

Andres Nocioni, F, Chicago

Anytime your coach and general manager have to order a player to stay on the sideline, you know that player brings something to the table. Nocioni, who can play both forward spots, missed 28 games this season with plantar fasciitis, but his presence on the floor, coupled with Ben Wallace, gives Chicago one of the most physical frontcourts in the league. Nocioni had his best game since his return Sunday against Washington (nine points, three rebounds in 14 minutes). Expect those numbers to rise in the playoffs when Scott Skiles bumps his minutes into the mid-20s.

J.R. Smith, G, Denver

Smith averaged 29.2 minutes as a starter before the December brawl at Madison Square Garden cost him 15 games -- and his spot in the starting lineup. When properly motivated (which is always the question with Smith), he can give the Nuggets' second unit an offensive spark. But he's just as likely to sulk and let his diminishing minutes affect his decision-making. It's clear coach George Karl isn't sure what to do with him: Smith has played two, 20, four and four minutes his last four games.

Francisco Elson, F-C, San Antonio

What do David Robinson, Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed have in common? All three have been the yin to Tim Duncan's yang in the Spurs' frontcourt during championship runs. Since February Elson has emerged as the full-time starter next to Duncan (splitting time with Fabricio Oberto, who is also a candidate for this list), and he will need to be a consistent presence on the glass and defensively for San Antonio to make a run at its fourth title. His numbers mean nothing; when Duncan is effective, that usually is an indicator that Elson is effective.

Josh Boone, C, New Jersey

The Nets have the most identifiable problem in the NBA: Their frontcourt is paper thin. Nenad Krstic's knee injury pushed Boone into the rotation and the rookie has responded, albeit inconsistently. Boone is another player whose value extends beyond his stat line. New Jersey's Big Three of Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson supplies plenty of offense, so Boone's primary responsibility is protecting the defensive backboard.

If you're looking for something to watch with Boone, try this: Early in the season his hands were among the worst in the league, as Kidd's pinpoint passes literally bounced off him. Lately, however, Boone has shown some improvements, and any offense he gives the Nets off pick-and-rolls will be icing on the cake.