Power Ranking the Lakers 10 Greatest Draft Picks
By Jacob Rude
7. Norm Nixon 22nd overall, 1977 draft
6. Derek Fisher 24th overall, 1996 draft
These two are one-in-the same on a certain degree. While neither will have a statue of them outside of the Staples Center (or any Lakers arena in the future), they both played very important parts in Lakers title runs.
Nixon was drafted onto a team that featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and not much else. It lacked quality players and certainly lacked star power save for Abdul-Jabbar. Nixon came in and made an immediate impact, scoring the 3rd most points on the team his rookie season. Fast forward a couple season to the NBA Finals in 1980 and it was Nixon who played a huge part in the series to help the Lakers to their first title of the Showtime Era. He added another ring in 1982 as he led the Lakers in scoring in the playoffs.
Fisher’s accolades are far more known, given the recency. He’s made his name for clutch shots and big games on the biggest stages. He’s been apart of five title-winning teams and played important roles on all five teams. Despite leaving for a handful of seasons in the middle of his career and finishing off his career in Oklahoma City, Fisher will forever be known as a Laker, as will Nixon.