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Ranking Julius Randle and the 5 best former Los Angeles Lakers

By Jason Reed

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 11: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks in action against the Toronto Raptors during a game at Madison Square Garden on April 11, 2021 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Raptors 102-96. 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 Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 11: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks in action against the Toronto Raptors during a game at Madison Square Garden on April 11, 2021 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Raptors 102-96. 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 Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

3. Lonzo Ball

Yep, Lonzo Ball comes in over two notable names on this list. When we get to the fourth and fifth members of this list I will compare their numbers to Ball to give my reasoning on why they rank lower than Ball. This page is all about Ball himself.

This might be shockingly high as Lonzo has been the butt of many jokes among Laker fans. He was instantly an easy target because of his wonky and ineffective shooting stroke as well as the entire debale that was the Big Baller Brand.

While it was rough at times, the potential was always there for Lonzo, who became the youngest player in league history to record a triple-double before his brother broke that record this season. He worked on his shot and now has turned himself into a really solid basketball player that is flying under the radar.

MUST-READ: Why the Los Angeles Lakers should bring back Lonzo Ball over Dennis Schroder

Ball is valuable as a two-way player. His defensive rating is not that great, as that is more indicative of the team’s poor defense, but he is an above average perimeter defender that is also now producing on the offseason end.

He is a point guard who can get his team going without needing to dominate the basketball, a trait that is rare in today’s NBA. This season he is averaging 14.6 points, 5.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds with a 41.4% field goal percentage and a 37.8% three-point percentage.

He is essentially a 15/5/5 per-night player despite having a usage rate of only 20.5%. There is not a single player in the league average 15/5/5 with a usage rate below 21% (Lonzo is close). Only 13 players in NBA history have done that. Ben Simmons was the last and Magic Johnson did it the most, doing so five times.

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