Viewed basically as expendable extras, Jordan Crawford and Maurice Evans have become major contributors since arriving in Washington in the deal that sent Kirk Hinrich to Atlanta nearly six weeks ago.

The wave of injuries that have sidelined Nick Young, Rashard Lewis, Trevor Booker and Josh Howard have forced the Wizards to lean on the two former Hawks.

The trade has worked out tremendously for the Wizards with Crawford and Evans helping the team to establish a new, scrappy identity.

“What it’s done, it’s almost rejuvenated us,” Coach Flip Saunders said of the deal. “Those guys, their aggressiveness, they are happy to be playing. They’ve given us a lot of energy and enthusiasm and that’s carried through the rest of the guys."