This is the third installment in a multi-part series ranking the best Los Angeles Lakers at each position.
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the greatest franchises in the NBA. Here, we are continuing our series breaking down the greatest Lakers to ever play position by position.
As a reminder, this is the criteria for a player to be included on the list:
• Played a minimum of 3 seasons with the Lakers. Longevity with the team is a factor.
• Only his performance with the Lakers counts
• Can be rated at more than one position
• Minneapolis Laker players are included
Previous installments featured rankings of centers and power forwards. This time we rate the top small forwards, which will include a mixture of steady, consistent longer-term players with a couple who shined brightly for a shorter period of time. There was also a conscious attempt not to favor more recent players who are better remembered than some of the oldies-but-goodies.
Honorable Mention:
• Keith Erickson– The former UCLA Bruin played five seasons for the Lakers in the late 60’s and early 70’s, averaging 9.2 points. He was steady and solid, a valuable reserve. Years later, he became a broadcast partner to the legendary Chick Hearn for eight years.
• Mike McGee– He was a reserve on the Showtime Lakers, including two title teams. He didn’t play big minutes, but he made the most of the time he was given, averaging 8.2 PPG over five seasons.
• Luke Walton– He was never a big scorer (just under 5 PPG), averaging double figures only once in his nine-year Lakers playing career. But he was an excellent passer and had a good feel for the game. And while injured, he studied coaching under Phil Jackson.
• Devean George– He deserves some recognition for logging 429 games in a Lakers uniform, about 90 percent of them as a reserve. He scored 6 PPG.
• Four different small forwards played only two seasons and fewer than 150 games each for the Lakers, not enough to qualify for the top 10. But all were double-figure contributors: Connie Hawkins (11 PPG and 6.3 RPG, the early 70’s), Adrian Dantley (18.3 and 6.4, late 70’s), Cedric Ceballos (20.9 and 7.3, 90’s) and Glen Rice (16.3 points, including the 2000 title team).
Now on with the top 10 countdown.