Ranking the Top 10 Draft Picks in Lakers History

5. Gail Goodrich (Territorial Pick, 1965)

In the early stages of the NBA, the league wanted to endear the local fans of teams, thus resulting in territorial picks that brought in local college players to professional teams. Thus, that’s how the Lakers wound up with one of the most underrated players in their history. In the 1965 NBA Draft, the Lakers used their territorial pick to select a guard out of the famed UCLA program: Gail Goodrich. That was a move they would reap the benefits from going forward.

A five-time All Star (four of those appearances coming with the Lakers), Goodrich played nine seasons with the Lakers. For those nine years, the guard averaged 19 points, 4.2 assists, three rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 46 percent from the field. He was a guy that could fill the box score in a variety of ways and almost always went onto the floor and did just that for the Lakers.

Goodrich was a fantastic guard in every sense, displaying the ability to score, facilitate, and defend at an elite level for almost a decade. Moreover, Goodrich’s prowess with the Lakers was a driving force in the team’s legendary 33-game win-streak in the 1971-72 season, a season where they would also go on to win the title.

Next: No. 4 James Worthy