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Los Angeles Lakers: The five best players that were never all-stars

By Jason Reed

BOSTON - JUNE 08: Derek Fisher #2 and Lamar Odom #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on against the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the 2010 NBA Finals on June 8, 2010 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
BOSTON - JUNE 08: Derek Fisher #2 and Lamar Odom #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on against the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the 2010 NBA Finals on June 8, 2010 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by: Mike Powell/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by: Mike Powell/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

1. Michael Cooper

Michael Cooper actually ranks lower than both Lamar Odom and Byron Scott in all-time win shares, coming in with the 16th highest mark in franchise history. However, that is just indicative that we cannot blindly trust advanced metrics as the sole ranking measure.

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The Los Angeles Lakers might not have won five championships without Michael Cooper. Magic and Kareem absolutely would have still won multiple championships but Cooper was such an important figure to that team that often gets overlooked in NBA history.

He was a member of the showtime Lakers for all five championships and was arguably the most important defensive piece of the puzzle. Cooper was a defensive menace and was arguably the best bench player in the league at the time.

Cooper was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and made eight All-Defensive teams in his NBA career, yet somehow, he never made an all-star team.

Perhaps it is because he was not the flashiest player and did not fill up the box score. He only averaged 10 or more points twice in his career and did not register high steals or blocks totals. In today’s day in age, he would get even more overlooked because of the low win-share totals.

You cannot tell the history of the Showtime Lakers without talking extensively about Michael Cooper. He missed a total of seven games from 1979 to 1987 and played in 80 or more games in nine of his 11 seasons after his rookie year, where he played three games.

Next. How many Laker teams crack the top-20 of all-time?. dark

Cooper is seventh in total games played, fifth in steals, 10th in blocks and 16th in points in franchise history.

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