By SCOTT SPANGLER

Ah yes, the NBA playoffs are upon us and what a wonderful time of year it is. Beginning this weekend and making its way into early June, the postseason is an unambiguous plethora of basketball goodies. College basketball’s March Madness is still the crème de la crème without question, but the National Basketball postseason puts on a dazzling show of its own. The sixteen best teams comprised of the world’s greatest athletes doing battle night-in, night-out for nearly two months. What’s not to like?

Having been a fan of the game for just over twenty years now, I’ve been fortunate enough to witness and admire some pretty amazing teams. My first real recollection of the National Basketball Association was when I was eleven years old. The Los Angeles Lakers were then, as they are now, the team to beat. A relative babe, a kid named Earvin Johnson was the rage of the sport and he was unlike anything the league had ever seen. There was Julius Erving and his 76ers. Oh, they were great, but they just couldn’t seem to solve that team from L.A. Then you had the Boston Celtics - an outfit that truly fascinated me. It might have been the fact they played in an archaic building. It might have been the black shoes. It might have even been the fact they didn’t look terribly athletic but still somehow won 60 games each season. Oh wait a second, I know. It was Larry Bird.

But there was a bit more to the Celts than just Larry Legend. It took more than Magic to propel Showtime. Those outstanding clubs also featured marvelous role players who served as the nuts and bolts of their championship runs. As we all know, defense and rebounding wins rings and no one sermonizes that doctrine more than Pat Riley. Behind every Kareem and Worthy lies a Kurt Rambis – someone willing to undertake those thankless duties that make the difference in games, especially big games.

Cedric Maxwell, aptly dubbed “Cornbread,” did all the dirt Bird and McHale wouldn’t do for Boston – offensive rebounding, scrapping for loose balls, hard fouls, park cars, mop the floor, sell pretzels. You name it, Cornbread made it happen for K.C. Jones and the Celtics. In 1983, the 76ers finally broke through and pillaged the Lakers in the Finals 4-0. Yes, Doc and Moses led them to the Promised Land. There was Andrew Toney and Mo Cheeks, both all-star caliber pieces in their own right. Despite all that talent, they were never quite able to scale the proverbial mountain until they utilized an out-of-the-way power forward named Marc Iavaroni. The journeyman never really amounted to much before or after that great run in ’83, but without him there to lean on Abdul-Jabbar, Truck Robinson, and Bob Lanier in the playoffs, the Sixers would’ve been hard pressed to win their first World Championship in sixteen years.

Fast forwarding to the 1990’s, most of us well remember the Pistons, Bulls, and Rockets title clubs. All won consecutive titles and all fueled by stars and role players alike. The basic formula for any championship caliber team is generally two players of star quality, another couple of solid contributors, and the remainder of the rotation filled with hard-nosed, blue-collar workers. Those workers are key cogs to any successful team. And the higher the stakes get, the more essential those guys become. Just ask Rudy Tomjanovich and Phil Jackson how invaluable Robert Horry has been to their title drives. If they won’t, Philly fans will. Horry tore their collective hearts out with a few three-point daggers last summer.

Simply stated, these types of players help win games and ultimately championships. As the postseason draws near, I would like to present my “all-plugger” team to honor the NBA’s worker bees and their importance to the game.

My forwards are a Texas twosome – San Antonio’s Malik Rose and Eduardo Najera of the Dallas Mavericks. These were tough choices for me given that forwards usually dominate this field. Rose’s gritty play has already netted him a ring with the Spurs. His defense, rebounding, and timely offense have become a necessity off Gregg Popovich’s bench and will continue to be if San Antone are to make another run at a title. By the way, Malik Rose is by far the best in the game at swindling offensive rebounds off missed free throws. No one else even comes close. Najera, in only his second year, has become a fan favorite in Dallas primarily due to his uncanny ability to come up with loose balls and draw offensive fouls.

The guards will carry more of an eastern flavor. Detroit’s Michael Curry has meant more to Rick Carlisle than anyone could ever have imagined. He usually draws the toughest defensive assignment and he routinely delivers a winning performance. Philly’s Eric Snow joins Curry in my backcourt. Snow has once again been asked to do anything and everything to help the Sixers win this season. His solid point play and hawking defense helped to guide Larry Brown’s squad to the NBA Finals last season. Despite nagging injuries this season, Snow has come through once again for his team.

This one was also tough. At center I shall take Charlotte’s Jamal Magloire. It may not be right to put on this team given my opinion that I believe this kid will ultimately be a really good starter at some point, and sooner than later at that. But the former Kentucky Wildcat is extremely active and has blossomed into a viable backup to Elden Campbell. His lively body will definitely continue be an asset for the Hornets as they go forth into the playoffs next week.

To most people, these guys are the throw-ins, but to me they’re just as important in many aspects as the players who score twenty. When watching the playoffs next week, keep an eye out for one of my guys. I’m sure you’ll notice, as I do, that while their efforts often go unsung or don’t show up in the box score the following day, their value is unquestioned in the eyes of their teammates and coaches.