6. Eddie Jones
The Lakers’ first-round pick of the 1994 draft (No. 10 overall), Jones was a model of consistent, solid, sometimes spectacular play at both ends of the court.
Steady Eddie was better than most people remember, and he probably doesn’t get enough credit from fans. In 1997 and ’98, he was good enough not only to make the All-Star team but also to keep a certain young future star named Kobe Bryant out of the starting lineup in both of those years.
Although he only made the NBA All-Defensive team once with the Lakers, he was generally regarded as one of the league’s best defensive players and used his quickness and athleticism to finish in the top 50 All-Time in steals.
During EJ’s 4-plus seasons with the Lakers, the team was in transition between the Showtime Era and the Shaq-Kobe-Phil Jackson years. LA was good enough to make the playoffs each season, but could never quite harness its talent enough to even get to the Finals, much less win a title.
Eddie did his part during his Lakers career, averaging 15.2 points, 3.0 assists, 2.1 steals and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and nearly 38 percent from behind the 3-point line.