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Apr. 11 -- It's getting late. Almost time to put this season to bed. I've spent every week since November examining the under-the-radar statistics from across the league and now I'm going to hand out the Inside the Obscure Stats year-end props. For each distinctive category, I'll highlight one guy who came from obscurity to unexpectedly aid teams in the said statistic. This isn't a rundown of the league leaders, it's a look at those among the league leaders whom you never would have expected to be there during preseason prognostication. And the props go to…

Boris Diaw -- +10.7 plus/minus rating, highest of any Suns player. Who would have known that when Suns' front office said 'oh, and throw in that Diaw kid too', it would have such a dramatic impact upon the run and gunners. But his plus/minus rating may be more telling than his random triple doubles, ridiculous assist totals and near 53 percent shooting from the floor. The Suns play best when he's on the floor. Period. The numbers say they need him more than Shawn Marion, more than even Steve Nash. And while Nash's play-making ability is undoubtedly the key to the franchise's success, having a guy who plays four positions on a team that plays like they have four guards on the floor is an ideal combination. But now comes the question that will haunt us all offseason long: where should we draft Diaw next season? He'll have the center eligibility. He'll have one more year of experience under his belt. He has the confidence of Suns' personnel. But how he responds to Amare Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas both in the lineup, a playing time issue he didn't face all year, will be the real test.

Chris Webber -- 21.58 efficiency rating, 20th in the league ahead of players like Richard Jefferson, Vince Carter, Carmelo Anthony, and Ray Allen. When thinking about 'efficient' players, C-Webb isn't exactly the first guy that comes to mind. In the past he's been called selfish, a gunner, and injury prone while many have chronicled his lack of clutch performances through the years. But Webber is in the midst of his best full season since 2002-2003, and could set a personal high for games played. Now that he no longer kills your free throw percentage, Webber is actually an underrated fantasy player because of his real-life reputation, and will likely go later in next season's drafts than he should.

Steve Blake -- 3.66, third in the league. Talk about coming out of obscurity! Blake spent his first few years with Washington playing less than 20 minutes per-game off the bench, and was never allowed to control the team's offense. Enter Nate McMillan, a new head coach who quickly became frustrated with the drama and inconsistency associated with the Portland backcourt. McMillan began starting Blake on December 16th, and the third year player from Maryland hasn't looked back, averaging five assists and 1.2 threes per-game as a starter. One of the keys to Blake's success was his coupling with college backcourt-mate Juan Dixon, and although Blake has earned a crack at the job next season, it's bound to be Sebastian Telfair's time sooner or later. Still, props where props are due. Well done, Steve. NOBODY expected that one.

Greg Buckner -- 1.72, second best in league. Buckner's been a favorite of mine all year when recommending a player who is overlooked, even in deeper leagues, and is a low-risk specialty guy who provides steals and threes without turning the ball over. But how did he go from journeyman to specialist without changing teams? Well, Buckner put up great per-48 minute stats last year, and was slated to come off the bench behind Voshon Lenard. Alas, Lenard played just eleven games for the Nuggets before getting injured and finally traded, and Buckner has been in and out of the starting lineup, acting as a stabilizing force for the Nuggets, who have desperately needed a shooting guard with range all season long. Buckner isn't the best in the league, but he's gotten the job done this year, as his threes and steals combined are more than three times his turnovers.

Zaza Pachulia -- 3.4 offensive rebounds per-game, fourth in the league. Pachulia seized the starting job before the season began and ran with it, averaging nearly twelve points and eight rebounds on the season. But where he really shines is on the offensive glass, and if you're in the type of league that splits defensive and offensive rebounds into separate categories, he's one of the prime contributors on the offensive side. One curious aspect of Pachulia's game is that his blocks and steals seem flip-flopped from what we expect from the average second center. With 1.2 steals and just 0.5 blocks, Pachulia does aid by providing a boost in steals but those low block totals are the reason he'll never be close to a first-string fantasy center. Still, he crashes the offensive boards better than guys like Elton Brand, Tim Duncan, Shawn Marion and Chris Bosh, and should hold onto his starting center job for next season.

Smush Parker -- 1.71 steals per-game, tenth in the league. After playing for three different teams in his first three years, never averaging more than 16 minutes per-night and even taking a year off to play in Greece, Parker found a home in the Lakers' backcourt next to Kobe Bryant. Playing in the triangle offense with somebody who averages a million shot attempts per-game doesn’t give Parker the typical assists you'd expect from a point guard. But 1.5 threes and a fantastic 1.7 steals per-game is good enough for any fantasy team, and his 1.8 turnovers are low for a point guard since he's not called upon to handle the ball on every possession. It's hard to say what the Lakers starting lineup will look like next season, although Parker's ability to defend some of the top guards in the West make him valuable to the Lakers, whether it's from the starting lineup or off the bench.

Kendrick Perkins -- 1.54 blocks in 18 minutes per-game. He's just 21 years old, and while everybody freaked out about Ryan Gomes when he posted an impressive three-week stretch, Perkins is the name to keep in mind for next season. He should be set to start at center for the Celtics after they exercised his 2006-2007 option in October, and expect blocks aplenty while Gomes and Al Jefferson struggle to mesh on the floor.

David West – 50.8 percent, 7.1-for-14. This year's Bobby Simmons came out of nowhere to be one of the best 'percentage' players in the league. That near 51 percent from the floor is paired with an 84 percent mark from the stripe. Not to mention 17 points, 7.4 rebounds and almost a steal and a block per-game. This year is not an aberration and West will be a happy second-fiddle to Chris Paul for years to come, as his numbers should steadily improve.

Chris Bosh – 76 percent last season, 81 percent this season. A five point jump in just his third year in the league? He also improved three percentage points from the floor, putting him in the prestigious 50/80 club, an indication that his shooting has improved, and should continue to as he gets older. He's a second round lock next year, and could even go late first round in those leagues in which he has center eligibility.

See you next week for one more round of Inside the Obscure Stats. * = Net points per-48 minutes for the team when a player is on the court versus net points per-48 minutes for the team when the player is on the bench ** = ((PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK) - ((FGA - FGM) + (FTA - FTM) + TO)) / G.

Josh Whitling is a fantasy expert for NBA.com. His column Inside the Obscure Stats runs every Tuesday as part of the NBA.com Premium Scouting Report. Contact him at FutilityIF@TalentedMrRoto.com.

The views expressed by the TalentedMrRoto.com represent only the views of the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA team.