Playoff Revelations: Thabo Sefolosha

Playoff Revelations honors playoff players without big names, but who are having a big impact in the postseason.

Kirk Hinrich does a pretty good job defensively against Dwyane Wade ... at least, as good a job as anyone could expect. So when Hinrich went to the bench with foul trouble on Saturday, you might've thought the Bulls were in a little bit of trouble. 'Twas not the case, though.

Thabo Sefolosha (and I'm sorry, TrueHoop, but I can't call him "Swiss Mister" ... it's clever, but it makes me think of hot chocolate and Martina Hingis, and that makes my mind wonder to places from which it doesn't like to come back) stepped in for Chicago, and D'd Wade up even better than Hinrich. Why was he able to do this? Because he's 6'7", has a 7'0" wingspan, has quick feet, and plays for Scott Skiles. Through genetics and circumstance, he doesn't really have a choice.

Of course, some of this was because Wade isn't completely healthy. Regardless, Sefolosha, in the time he spent guarding him, took Wade completely out of the game. Luol Deng turned Wade into Smush Parker on the defensive end, and Sefolosha turned him into Smush Parker on the offensive end. It's gotta be nice for Scott Skiles to know he has this option later in the series.

I don't know if Sefolosha will continue to be a huge factor in this series, mainly because Kirk Hinrich isn't likely to be picking up a bunch of quick fouls every game. Sefolosha got 18 minutes, after averaging just 12.9 on the last month of the season. Even if he doesn't have this kind of an impact again in the series, he deserves some shine for what he did in Game 1.