6. Derek Fisher (Round 1, Pick 24, 1996)
Simply looking at the statistics of Derek Fisher over his career does a disservice to the point guard in terms of assessing his value to the Lakers. Fisher was one of the guiding voices and secondary leader for the team over the course of two decades as the team adjusted from era to different era over that time.
For his career, Fisher’s production is nothing to write home about. In his 13 seasons with the Lakers, Fisher merely averaged 7.9 points, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting only 40.2 percent from the floor. Moreover, his peak season saw him average only 11.5 points, 4.4 assists, three rebounds, and two steals per game. As previously stated, though, the stats don’t paint the full picture in regards to the importance of Fisher to the Lakers.
Moreover, even just talking about his leadership and what that meant to the Lakers doesn’t take into account his knack for knocking down big shots. While he may not be “Big Shot” Rob (Robert Horry), Fisher certainly made his name known at the end of games when the Lakers needed a big bucket. Obviously there’s none more famous or important, though as the famous 0.4-second miracle. Oh yeah, he also just happened to be around to help Kobe attain five titles in Los Angeles.
Next: No. 5 Gail Goodrich