Powe position

You won't find his name and number on any of the T-shirts they sell at the kiosks around the TD Banknorth Garden.

You won't hear a buzz through the arena whenever he takes off his warm-ups and heads towards the scorer's table, nor will everyone chant his name whenever he makes a hoop or a hustle play.

You won't see his mug on the Jumbotron reminding everyone it's the fourth quarter and it's time to "Stand up!! Stand up …. right … nowwwwwww!!"

You won't hear him complain about any of those things, either.

You see, Leon Powe just goes to work. And he does it well.

Much better than you probably think.

Leon at his best: Taking the bump down low and getting the hoop and foul. (AP Photo)

Why did the Celtics win 66 games this year? There are more reasons than you can count on your fingers and toes. Garnett re-energized the fans and players. Pierce and Allen subjugated their individual stats for team play. Rondo played like a 10-year vet running the team. Tom Thibodeau performed a miracle on the D even the pope would have to recognize. Posey and House gave the veteran consistency that was expected of them.

Most of those things we knew would likely happen (well, maybe we didn't know how good the defense could be). But one contribution was, for the most part, wholly unexpected, and just as integral to the team's sustained success throughout the season:

Leon Powe became the best bench player for the best team in the NBA.

No knock to Eddie House or James Posey, they are definitely in the running, and solid argument can be made for each. And when Tony Allen isn't thinking, and when he's playing instinctually on D, he's up there as well.

But who has done more for this team off the bench than Leon in the second half of the season? Not only has he become the most consistent big man to come in off the pine for the C's in years, but he has become that after barely playing at all in the first half of the season.

Through the first 37 games of the Celtics season, Leon only got playing time in 14 of them, and most of those minutes coming in garbage time at the end of blowouts. He was efficient in his early games, but only played more than 10 minutes in a game once during that stretch (the infamous 104-59 thrashing of the Knicks in late November). In fact, during those first 37 games, he played a grand total of 60 minutes. That's nine minutes less than Brian Scalabrine played in the first four games of the season.

But it was when Kevin Garnett went down in late January that Leon was thrust in the rotation, out of pure necessity. The C's were desperately in need of big men when KG went down, and if you were 6-feet-10 inches or taller, Doc had no choice but to throw you on the floor.

So what did Leon do with the opportunity? He averaged a much-needed 12.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 25.6 minutes a game during KG's absence, and he helped the C's to a 7-2 record during The Big Ticket's nine games off, punctuated by the buzzer-beating tip-in in Minnesota on Feb. 8.

Since that stretch without KG, Leon has been a mainstay in the rotation, often coming in off the bench for Garnett himself. The cheers that fill the Garden when that substitution happens are always directed at Garnett as he heads to the bench, rather than the incoming Powe, but more often than not the C's don't lose nearly as much as they should with that substitution.

When watching him last year, I felt that Leon brought many things to the team that were desperately needed, most notably his never-ending intensity under the glass and his willingness to sacrifice his body, whether it be in setting a screen, taking a charge, or mixing it up with opposing big men. Much of what he brought didn't always show up in the stat sheet, such as his great ability to get his fingertips on loose balls even when surrounded by three guys.

But what sold me on Leon was his incredible effort during the franchise-worst 18-game losing streak last year. Halfway through the streak, many C's players lost their swagger and seemed to turn it down a notch. Not Leon … he played every minute of that embarrassing streak like it was Game 7 of the Finals. He was the only guy willing to be an instigator under the boards, and the only guys to show some fight (almost literally a few times).

He dominates so much down low, sometimes Leon gets bored and decides to play on his knees. (AP Photo)

One thing I didn't expect this year was his offensive efficiency. Leon had trouble last year getting shots down low, often getting his shot blocked when in single coverage. He had awkward footwork and strange post moves, and for the most part they proved ineffective against NBA big men.

Whatever he did in the offseason, it worked. Leon is now one of the best Celtics at instigating contact and getting to the line. He is the best pick-and-roller on the team, and his ability to grab a tough pass is second to none. He has developed great body control underneath the hoop and has the ability to power shots in even as he's taking a hard hit. He may be the team's most reliable scorer two feet from the hoop.

After KG came back from injury, you had to wonder if Leon was headed back to only playing garbage-time minutes. Often battling Big Baby for second-unit minutes early on, Doc soon went to a Davis/Powe front line when the starters came out, and when it proved unexpectedly effective, Leon's minutes became more consistent. Soon he was the first guy off the bench and logging minutes with many of the starters, and playing meaningful shifts down the stretch of games.

Since those 23 DNP-CD's in the first 37 games, Leon has only sat only once in the last 45 games. Although he logs many 15-18 minute games, he has started to crack 20 and sometimes even 30 minutes a game. And it's in those games where he plays extended minutes where his effectiveness is even more apparent.

Overall, Leon has played 20 of more minutes in 15 games this season. In those games, he is averaging 16 points and 8 rebounds a game, with an average of 27 minutes. If his stats for his over-20-minute games are stretched out over 48 minutes, his numbers are 28.3 points and 14 rebounds per 48. If Leon had more 20+ minute games under his belt this season, (and thus qualified for the per-48 league leaders) those stats would be enough to put him at No. 20 in the NBA in scoring and No. 45 in rebounding. Granted, that's stretching the stats a little bit, but the fact that he's able to those numbers when he plays over 20 minutes shows that he's more effective the longer he plays in each game.

Still, Leon will be an afterthought to many in the playoffs, as opponents and fans focus on Garnett, Pierce, Allen, Rondo, Posey, House, Cassell and Perk before they even consider Leon. And the loudest cheers will be reserved for the mega-stars, the gregarious rotund bench players, and the red-headed towel-wavers on the bench.

Leon will just come in and do his job, mostly unnoticed. And he seems fine with that. It's just what he does.