Each month the Lakers Nation writers will tackle an issue, giving their take at the question at hand. In our first installment of writers roundtable, the writers will debate which Lakers’ player is the most underrated player of all-time. Here are their viewpoints:
Suki Thind: Derek Fisher
I’m going to stray from what I anticipate most people would say and go with Derek Fisher here. Why? Simply because I’m biased (first of all, I’m not old enough to have witnessed all the 1980s teams, and didn’t really get into basketball until the 2000s), and Derek Fisher is still one of my favorite players.
But, I will try to make a legitimate argument at the same time.
At the beginning of almost every season, many Lakers fans would complain about how there needed to be an upgrade at the point guard position. There’s no doubt Fisher’s production could never match the likes of Lakers’ rivals Tony Parker, Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Russell Westrbrook, etc., but the guy always seemed to make the right play at the right time. Not only that, but his presence and calm on the floor made it easy for younger guys to simply focus on the task at hand. His leadership and motivational techniques truly earned the respect of his teammates–especially future Hall-of-Famer Kobe Bryant; there was nobody on the floor Bryant trusted more than D-Fish.
We can talk about all the times Fisher got beaten off the dribble by a quick point guard, but the fact is, as a team, the Lakers were still able to beat the likes of All-Star guards such as Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Mike Bibby, Tony Parker, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Steve Nash, and Rajon Rondo with Fisher at the helm.
In one of my very first articles for Lakers Nation, I chronicled all of Fisher’s big-time shots, but also went on to say that it was always his leadership that made him such a magnificent player for the Lakers. Yet at the same time, year after year, fans would continually come up to me when I would wear my #2 jersey–especially after a tough loss–and say “Man, they need to get rid of Fisher, he’s too old!” and I would respond “Just wait, wait until it’s a big game and we need him to come through.” Sure enough, D-Fish never let me down, and anytime he would hit a big shot, I would throw it right in the faces of whoever was doubting him just days earlier (or even months earlier, because I always took note of it).
I’m sure there are other players just as “underrated” as Derek Fisher, but to me, I don’t see how every season a guy who made it to seven NBA Finals with the Lakers (six as a starter) and won five championships (four as a starter) could be continually doubted time after time after time. To me, he always had to prove himself, and when it really mattered, he did.
Next Page: Jabari Davis’ Take
Jabari Davis: Byron Scott
A definite argument could/should be made for Elgin Baylor, as he is one of the more underrated and least acclaimed (due to his Clippers staining) absolute superstars in league history, but I want to take a moment to address one of my childhood favorites: Byron Scott. When folks discuss the Showtime Lakers and the glory days, often times B-Scott #4 goes without mention. Don’t get me wrong, Magic/Kareem/Worthy were certainly the triumvirate of Showtime, but Byron was every bit of a determining factor during the final two title runs of the 80’s.
While growing up in Inglewood, Scott was the pride of Morningside High School, before starring at nearby Arizona State for three years. After being drafted by the San Diego Clippers, he was then traded (for Norm Nixon) to a talented Lakers group that had just come off a disappointing Finals sweep at the hands of the Moses Malone led 76ers (“Fo’ Not-Fo’ Fo”) squad. Even though his Lakers went on to face disappointment in the Finals (4-3 loss to Boston), Scott and the Lakers went on to win three of the next four NBA titles from 1985-88. Scott’s best statistical year (21.7 ppg, 4.1 rebs, 4.1 asts, 1.9 stls) came during the 1987-88 season, which happened to be the second year of the infamous “Back-to-Back” run.
As mentioned, Scott went on to be a 3-time NBA champion, but injuries prevented him from participating in the 1989 attempt to “3-peat” vs. the Pistons. Scott is often criticized for an apparent disappearing act during the 1991 Finals, but one shouldn’t truly be faulted for struggling against perimeter defenders like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen during their collective primes. Not to mention, Scott was nursing a sore shoulder, which eventually held him out of the elimination game (Game 5).
Scott went on to play the next two seasons with the Lakers paired with (Big Game) James Worthy, following Magic Johnson’s untimely retirement just before the 1992 NBA season. After playing a couple years with the Pacers and Grizzlies, Scott returned to the Lakers for his final (1996-97) season in the league, and acted as somewhat of a veteran mentor for a 17/18-year-old kid named Kobe Bryant. You may have heard of him.
Next Page: Elizabeth Benson’s Take
Elizabeth Benson: Elgin Baylor
There are a couple of names that come to mind when I think about underrated Lakers. Those names include George Mikan, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper and Norm Nixon. However, there is one name that I keep going back to every time I think about this topic: Elgin Baylor. I believe Baylor is without a doubt the most underrated player in Lakers history and the most under-appreciated NBA player of all-time. There is one factor that keeps me going back to his name, which is that Baylor was 6’5”. Keep that in mind as I go on.
Baylor averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds during his 14-year career with the Lakers starting in Minneapolis and ending in LA. In 134 playoff games, he averaged 27.0 points and 12.9 rebounds. Once again, he was 6’5”, averaging 14 rebounds over his career. To put it in perspective, the 7’2” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar averaged 11.2 rebounds per game over his career.
In his rookie season (1958-59) Baylor finished fourth in the league in scoring (24.9 PPG), third in rebounding (15.0 RPG), and eighth in assists (4.1 APG). He had a 55-point game, which at that time was the third highest scoring game. He was named rookie of the year, an All-Star (first out of eleven), named All-Star MVP and led the Lakers to the Finals. This was his rookie season!
From 1960 through 1963, he averaged 34.8, 38.3, and 34.0 points, respectively. He led the Lakers to the NBA Finals eight times and was a 10-time All-NBA First Team selection. Baylor was the spark that ignited the great rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics. In 1962, he was called up by the Army Reserves and was stationed in Washington, which forced him to limit his performances to only weekend games for the Lakers. During that season, he averaged 38.3 PPG, 18.6 RPG, and 4.6 APG. Crazy, right?
However, Baylor played during the time of Wilt Chamberlain’s dominance of the game, which he never was able to step out of Chamberlain’s shadow. Further, Baylor was associated with never being able to prevail over Boston in the Finals. When Jerry West joined the Lakers, Baylor was almost seen as a number two. When Chamberlain joined Baylor and West in L.A., that shadow got bigger.
Baylor played in an age where games and his flashy moves weren’t caught on camera and streamed to the television in your living room. There were no branding efforts with players with Baylor’s status like there is today, such as Nike’s marketing of Kobe Bryant. The ability to pull up highlights from Baylor’s career on YouTube as you can with Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan does not exist. Therefore, it came down to word-of-mouth stories and eyewitness accounts to spread the word of Baylor’s greatness.
Former competitor and coach of Baylor, Bill Sharman, to the Los Angeles Times at Baylor’s 1971 retirement, “I say without reservation that Elgin Baylor is the greatest cornerman who ever played pro basketball.” Jerry West told HOOP magazine in 1992, “He was one of the most spectacular shooters the game has ever known. I hear people talking about forwards today and I haven’t seen many that can compare with him.”
Elgin Baylor may not have won a championship during his remarkable career and may no longer hold the record for most points in a game by a Laker thanks to Kobe Bryant, but if you take a look at what he accomplished in his career, you can see without a doubt that Baylor is the most underrated Laker, and most likely overall basketball player of all-time.
Next Page: Josh Sexton’s Take
Josh Sexton: Pau Gasol
When thinking about the most underrated Lakers of all-time, the first two players who jumped into my head were Elgin Baylor and Jamaal Wilkes. But after thinking about it a little longer, I have come to the conclusion the most underrated Laker of all-time is currently playing for the team. I am talking about Pau Gasol, of course.
Typically there are two types of underrated players: those who play great basketball but are overshadowed by superior teammates (think Wilkes and Baylor) and players who can have a huge impact on a game without scoring, often flying under the radar (think Michael Cooper).
Gasol has undoubtedly been the second banana to Kobe, but it’s hard to say he’s been overshadowed. And he certainly hasn’t flown under the radar. Pau has been named to three All-Star Teams and three All-NBA Teams as a member of the Lakers. I consider Gasol to be the most underrated Laker because of all the unwarranted criticism he has received throughout his tenure with the Lakers.
After Gasol was outplayed by Kevin Garnett in the ’08 Finals (what power forward wouldn’t have been outplayed by KG that spring?), there were plenty of Laker haters, and lovers for that matter, who labeled him “soft.” He has had a hard time shaking the label ever since.
Outside of a small hiccup in the 2011 post-season, Gasol has played great basketball while wearing purple and gold. Pau has averaged 18 points a game, nearly 10 rebounds, has helped the team win two championships and led all players in the 2010 postseason with 255 total rebounds.
It’s also worth mentioning in the three seasons in-between Shaq being traded and Gasol coming to town, the Lakers did not win a playoff series. Kobe was on an island trying to keep the team’s head above water.
Maybe it’s Gasol’s gentlemanly demeanor that befuddles some fans. He doesn’t get in the face of his competitors or scream obscene things at referees. Maybe this contrast in comparison to other NBA players stands out more than his quality play. Gasol’s career in Los Angeles is not over. In time, maybe he will become more appreciated. If not, he will forever be underrated.
Next Page: Andrew Ungvari’s Take
Andrew Ungvari: Eddie Jones
There’s zero doubt in my mind that the most underrated player in Lakers history was Eddie Charles Jones. Unfortunately for Eddie, he had the misfortune of playing the same position as some high school kid the Lakers would trade for for just two years after drafting him.
To understand what Eddie Jones meant to the Lakers, you’d have to go back to the 1993-94 season. That team ended the season with 10 straight losses and a 33-49 record. They were the first Lakers team since 1976 to miss the playoffs. To put that into perspective, there were 17-year-old kids in 1994, like myself, who had never witnessed a season in which they missed the playoffs.
Of the 16 players who would wear a Lakers uniform that season, seven of them were either in his first or second season. More than anything, that team lacked an identity. It was clear that then-GM Jerry West was busy trying to amass as many talented young players as he could in preparation for a future deal.
Eddie Jones, drafted 10th overall in the 1994 draft, was one of only two top-10 draft picks the Lakers would make between 1984 and the present (Andrew Bynum being the other). The shooting guard position before Eddie’s arrival was split amongst Sedale Threatt, Anthony Peeler, and Tony Smith. None of the three had inspired any excitement or hope for the future of the franchise the way Eddie did.
It didn’t take long either. In just the fourth game of his career, Eddie scored 31 points on 12-for-15 shooting. Two days later he would score 20 points and grab nine rebounds. His 25 points in the 1995 Rookie Game were enough to earn him the MVP despite being on the losing team. Chants of “Ed-die! Ed-die!” were as common at The Great Western Forum as Jack Nicholson and Dyan Cannon.
But it wasn’t just that he scored so much as how he scored. You could make the case that Eddie Jones is the most underrated dunker in NBA history. If you don’t believe me, just sit back and watch this compilation.
With Vlade Divac, Elden Campbell, Nick Van Exel, newcomers Cedric Ceballos, Eddie Jones, and head coach Del Harris, the Lakers were quickly becoming one the league’s most exciting teams. The team that had won 33 games the previous season already had 29 by the All-Star Break.
Eddie would go on to average 14 points per game his rookie year and make First-Team All-Rookie. The Lakers would go 48-34 and upset the Seattle Super Sonics in the first-round – a team that finished nine games better during the regular season. Not bad for a team who’s top-7 players were all 26 or younger.
The Lakers would improve to 53-29 the following season – a weird season in which Magic Johnson would rejoin the team in January and the Rockets would upset them. Eddie’s scoring average dropped by a point but that had more to do with Magic’s arrival. Few would admit it, but Magic might have done more to disrupt that team than help it.
During the summer of 1996, Jerry West would acquire Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Although Kobe and Eddie would find a way to coexist, it seemed inevitable that one of them would eventually be traded. And if the team was going to have to choose between the two, they were going to keep the younger Bryant.
Eddie would go on to average around 17 points per game in 1996-97 and 1997-98. He made the All-Star team in both of those seasons. By 1998-99, Harris would have no choice but to insert Kobe into the starting lineup and move Eddie to small forward.
The writing was on the wall. Eddie wasn’t a good enough three-point shooter to play alongside Bryant. The team needed a shooter who could make opposing defenses pay for double and triple-teaming Shaq. He wasn’t a small forward either. In fact, he and Kobe shared very much the same skill set. It wasn’t uncommon to hear Chick Hearn call them by the other one’s name.
In 1999, the Lakers traded Eddie along with Elden Campbell to the Hornets for Glen Rice, J.R. Reid, and B.J. Armstrong.
When it was all said and done, Eddie Jones retired as a three-time All-Star, three-time Second Team All-Defense and one-time All-NBA selection. For the remainder of Eddie’s career, I hoped he’d one day return. Legend has it that Mitch Kupchak was given the choice between Brian Grant and Eddie in the Shaq trade and opted for Grant. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.