Jordan Farmar
NBA Comparison: Luke Ridnour
Strengths:
“True point guard with excellent vision and passing ability… Sees plays before they develop, finds teammates the instant they become open, the mark of a great passer… Very good shooter with range… Uses change of speeds well… Plays solid team defense, reading passing lanes for steals…”
Weaknesses:
“Athleticism and strength could be an issue for him in the NBA… A big or real physical guard can push him around… Turnover prone, can get caught up trying to be too fancy… Lacks explosiveness and finishing ability around the basket… Not especially long or tall, can’t see over defenses and must make ball fakes to get passes over or around bigger defenders…”
How accurate was his evaluation?
People may forget Farmar was one of the draft picks the Lakers acquired in the infamous Shaq trade. Farmar was the backup point guard on two championship teams, and did well when called upon. Looking at his success with the Lakers, I would say Farmar was an overall success in the NBA. His draft predictions were spot on, as they implied “reserve/role player” when reading the evaluations. Farmar’s PERs in his four years as a Laker were 10.8, 15.4, 9.9, and 12.3. On top of that, his WS/48 was .093 and .05 during the Lakers back-to back championship. Although Farmar didn’t turn out to be a star, he did meet his draft expectations and helped bring championships back to LA.
Next: Last, But Not Least...The Mamba