Greatest Lakers of all time: 25- Eddie Jones
- 5 seasons, 314 games
- 15.2 PPG
- 3.0 APG
- 2.1 steals
He was the Lakers’ first-round pick of the 1994 draft (#10 overall), and is one of the team’s most under-rated players historically. He was a model of consistent, solid, all-around play at both ends of the court.
Steady Eddie was the team’s best player for several post-Showtime seasons and made 2 all-star teams. He ranks 1st in career steals per game, 18th in PPG, 23rd in APG, 28th in career points, and also shot 46% from the field and nearly 38% from behind the 3-point line while averaging 3.8 rebounds per game.
Although he only made the NBA All-Defensive team once with the Lakers, EJ 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 the league in steals.
When Jones played with the Lakers, they were 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. Still Eddie did all he could. In fact, it took two seasons for a young future star named Kobe Bryant to ultimately replace him in the starting lineup at shooting guard.