SG: Michael Cooper
If you are a frequent reader here at Lake Show Life then you know that Michael Cooper is one of the most underrated players in Los Angeles Lakers history and we will take any opportunity we get to make sure that our readers know that.
Cooper was somewhat lost in the shuffle during the Showtime Lakers era and he did not have the flashy style of play that Magic Johnson and company had that would have made him appealing. Heck, Cooper was not even a starter on the team, as he started just 94 of his 873 career games with the Lakers.
He got starting minutes, though, averaging 27.1 minutes per game and he makes the starting lineup on this team. Cooper is not just one of the most overlooked players in Lakers’ history, but he is one of the greatest bench role players in league history.
Cooper provided elite defense off the bench for the Lakers and wound up with eight All-Defensive nods and even a Defensive Player of the Year honor. He was easily one of the best defensive players in the league during the 1980s.
Cooper is not going to need to score a lot on this California Lakers team, evident from his career 8.9 points per game. However, what he will do is provide elite defense.
Cooper was born in Los Angeles.