Ranking the Top 10 Most Underrated Los Angeles Lakers Players of the Past Decade
The American Heritage® Dictionary defines “underrated” as “To rate too low; underestimate.” In other words, rating the most underrated Los Angeles Lakers of the past decade is less of a science and more of a subjective exercise.
It’s also a lot of fun.
As a collective team, the Lakers have had their fair share of success and failure over the past 10 years, winning two championships and falling from grace and the playoffs a couple of seasons later.
They’ve also been home to a number of gifted players who, for different reasons, never seemed to quite achieve the recognition they deserved from fans, teammates, coaches, management and the media.
The underrated have shined under the best and worst of circumstances; through championship runs and dreadful debacles. Yet they all share that common thread of being underappreciated by some or all of the aforementioned groups.
This is that one list not occupied by the obvious recognized stars of the past decade, a small group that would obviously have to include Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Metta World Peace and Derek Fisher. Even Andrew Bynum, the mercurial center whose star burned brightly for a few seasons before burning itself out, would not be a candidate.
For those making the list of the underrated, only two of them remain with the Lakers. Did management let some hidden gems get away?
You be the judge.
10. Nick Young: An Entertainer Transforms into a Player
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OK, it's time for a little honesty. Who really thought Nick Young would have the best year of his career last season and actually start to resemble more of a complete basketball player by season's end?
Desperate for some instant offense that former coach Mike D'Antoni could count on, the Lakers rolled the dice by signing the free agent who longed to come home to Southern California and play for his favorite boyhood team.
Young came to Los Angeles with the reputation for being a talented but uncontrollable one-way player. In six previous seasons, the former first-round draft pick of the Washington Wizards never lived up to the high expectations many had for him coming out of USC in 2007.
Young never met a shot he didn’t like (or take) and was considered more of a streaky shooter and entertainer than a solid, two-way performer. He signed with the Lakers because it was a chance to come home and because the Lakers needed players. Expectations were muted and minimal at best.
Young surprised everyone. He not only picked up the scoring slack when Kobe Bryant went down after his brief six-game return. Young also morphed into a more disciplined basketball player and one of the better defenders on a team that mostly gave lip service to that aspect of the game.
Young averaged a career-high 17.9 points last season and made 39 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. He averaged three rebounds and one steal per game and set a franchise record with six four-point plays.
And while Young most certainly could have taken his talents elsewhere this summer, he was able to stay in L.A. on a new, four-year extension.
Underrated when the season began, Nick Young proved a lot of skeptics (myself among them) wrong by its end.
9. Shannon Brown: Was That a Trampoline Under His Feet?
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Shannon Brown's play while a member of the Lakers was about more than just jumping out of the gym on ferocious dunks.
Yet, it's those very plays that most of us remember. They electrified an often sedate Lakers crowd, acting as a spark to ignite the team when it needed a shot in the arm.
The 6'4" Brown was part of the Lakers franchise that won back-to-back NBA championships in 2009 and 2010. Coming to L.A. as part of a trade with the Charlotte Bobcats that included Adam Morrison, Brown was considered a throw-in salary piece and averaged just over seven minutes a game at the tail end of the 2009 campaign.
Given an opportunity to come off the bench the following season, Brown made the most of his limited minutes, helping the Lakers and big brother Kobe Bryant defeat the Boston Celtics in a classic, seven-game series.
That year, Brown averaged 21 minutes, coming off the bench in all 82 games. He averaged eight points on 43 percent shooting. While not eye-popping stats, it was the way Brown scored that made him an invaluable member of the team and a fan favorite.
Brown chose not to return to the Lakers in 2011 and, after the NBA lockout ended, signed with the Phoenix Suns. He had impressed the fans in L.A. but probably was underrated by management.
Per LakersNation.com reporter Daniel Buerge (July 2011):
"As Shannon Brown prepares to move on in his basketball career it’s safe to say he won’t be remembered along with Bryant, Jerry West or other legendary Lakers. But Brown was a very complementary player that helped the team win two consecutive titles."
8. Earl Clark: Stepping out of the Shadows
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Earl Clark was another one of those former college stars who seemed to get lost in the vast NBA shuffle. Until coming to the Lakers.
The 6'10" former college star from the University of Louisville was a disappointment with the Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic, but he seemed to find his rhythm in Los Angeles.
During the 2012-13 season, Clark played in 59 games, starting 36 of them, and averaged career highs in scoring (7.3) and rebounds (5.5). During February and March of that season, Clark averaged double digits in 16 games for a Lakers team that would finish the season 45-37.
Clark logged 23 minutes per game during that one season for L.A., often filling in for Dwight Howard or Pau Gasol. It was a solid year from a power forward just turning 25 midway through the season.
Clark took full advantage of his performance for the Lakers by leaving to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers as a free agent. The Cavs gave Clark a two-year deal worth $9 million, with the second year being a team option.
Earl Clark last played on a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks and, at 26, finds himself looking for a job. The San Antonio Spurs called him in for a workout this past week, cognizant of Clark's play in Los Angeles.
Clark could be another diamond in the rough for the Spurs. He certainly remains underrated.
7. Ronny Turiaf: the Joy of Playing Basketball
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When the Lakers selected 6'10" center Ronny Turiaf with the 37th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, they thought they were getting a high-energy power forward capable of consistent scoring and rebounding.
They had no idea Turiaf had an enlarged heart that would require surgery before he ever suited up for them or any NBA team. After doctors concluded that Turiaf would need surgery, the Lakers had to void his $1 million contract with the hope that he might be ready in six to 12 months to give it another try.
The former Gonzaga star, who led the West Coast Conference in scoring his senior year, underwent a successful, six-hour, open-heart procedure to repair an enlarged aortic valve. Though he had yet to play one minute for the Lakers, the team's late owner Jerry Buss paid for the expensive surgery.
When Turiaf recovered and finally took the court in purple and gold for the first time, he was an instant fan favorite. Though never a tremendous scorer, Turiaf could be counted on for rebounds and hustle plays.
Turiaf's best year with L.A. was his third and last. During the 2007-08 season, Turiaf averaged seven points (career high) and four rebounds in just under 19 minutes per game.
Although his totals during that year's playoff run dropped off considerably, Turiaf's regular-season stats were good enough to get him a free-agent offer from the Golden State Warriors for $17 million over four years. With center Andrew Bynum slated to return from injury the following season, the Lakers reluctantly let Turiaf go by not matching the Warriors' offer.
Said Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, per ESPN.com:
"There are emotional ties with Ronny that go beyond basketball. I think that makes it difficult. I think organizations that draft players who turn out to be good players, it's hard for them to let go of those players. And if you know Ronny, you know he's a special kid.
"
6. Matt Barnes: Playing with a Chip
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Matt Barnes is one of those players you want to go to battle with. But you only love him if he's wearing the same uniform as you.
To label Barnes gritty and a survivor would be putting it mildly for the 11-year NBA veteran. He's been so underrated throughout so much of his career that he constantly has had to prove his worth in a league where player lifespan is just 4.7 years.
The former UCLA standout played for the Lakers from 2010-12. He was signed after the team had just won its 16th NBA championship, defeating the Boston Celtics in seven games.
Before donning the purple and gold, Barnes' wild journey included stints with the Fayetteville Patriots of the D-League, the Long Beach Jam of the ABA, the L.A. Clippers, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, and Orlando Magic.
For his career, Barnes has averaged eight points on 45 percent shooting, mostly as a role player. That's just about what he averaged in his two-year stint with the Lakers.
Barnes is a super sub and, like others on the list of underrated Lakers, gave the team instant offense and gritty, passionate defense whenever called upon.
If there was a loose ball rolling around anywhere on the court, you usually would find Barnes down on the floor fighting for it. Though he wasn't overly impressive in 21 playoff games over two seasons with the Lakers, Barnes is still remembered as a fighter.
All teams need a fighter who wears his passion for the game on his sleeve. That was, and still is, Matt Barnes.
5. Ramon Sessions: Solid If Not Spectacular
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Ramon Sessions made quite an impression in a very short period of time playing for the Lakers. Apparently, for team management, it wasn't good enough and they may have regretted their decision to let him leave as a free agent in 2012.
"What if Ramon Sessions hadn't opted out of the final year of his contract, a move setting in motion a chain of events that led to the Lakers acquiring Steve Nash and then Dwight Howard? What if, indeed."
Following a late-season trade with the Cavaliers, Sessions played in 23 games for Los Angeles and performed well considering the pressure he was under. Sessions was replacing five-time world champion Derek Fisher as Lakers point guard after the latter was dealt to the Houston Rockets.
Sessions averaged 13 points and six assists in 31 minutes per game down the stretch for the Lakers. His 10 points on 38 percent shooting in 12 playoff games convinced Mitch Kupchak that Sessions was expendable.
The Lakers did offer Sessions a one-year deal to come back the following season, but he left for more money and the security of a two-year deal with the Charlotte Bobcats.
What if, indeed. Had they kept Sessions, the Lakers might not have acquired Nash, which cost them two future first-round draft picks.
4. Kendall Marshall: Diamond and the Rough
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Was it wise for the Lakers to let the 23-year-old Kendall Marshall go after a season in which the untested point guard averaged almost nine assists per game?
Amid a season of disarray and disaster, Marshall proved to be one of the few bright lights last year. With injuries to Steve Nash, Steve Blake and Jordan Farmer, the Lakers quickly signed Marshall, a refugee of the D-League's Delaware 87ers, and promptly inserted him into the starting lineup.
Marshall thrived in the Mike D'Antoni fast-paced offense. In his first full month on the job (January 2014), Marshall was brilliant with the basketball. He averaged 11.5 assists and 11.9 points in 38.5 minutes per game.
Marshall had 10 or more assists in 25 games last season and for a period of about two months made over 44 percent of his unorthodox-looking three-point shots.
The Lakers waived Marshall this summer, figuring they needed the extra dollars to sign Nick Young to a long-term deal. The thought was to then bring Marshall back after he cleared waivers.
The Milwaukee Bucks spoiled that plan, and the Lakers lost one of the most underrated, young point guards in the game.
3. Jodie Meeks: From Shooter to All-Around Hustler
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He's No. 3 on the list, but Jodie Meeks may have been the most underrated of them all. He certainly didn't lack for hustle and perseverance during his all-too-brief two-year run with the Lakers.
Meeks originally came to Los Angeles in order to provide them with outside shooting, his specialty. Meeks was pretty one-dimensional at the time.
Meeks blossomed in the D'Antoni offense last year, averaging a career-high 15.7 points on 46 percent shooting, including 40 percent from beyond the arc.
What impressed even more was how Meeks developed as a ball-handler and penetrator. Playing 33 minutes per game, Meeks also became a solid, if not spectacular, defender.
He averaged 1.4 steals a game and was often the guy standing ground and taking a charge in the lane for the mostly defenseless Lakers.
When it came time to re-sign the 27-year-old Meeks, the Lakers let him go. He couldn't refuse the Detroit Pistons, who offered Meeks three years and $19 million.
2. Jordan Hill: The Forgotten Man in the Middle
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Statistics don't lie. On a per-minute basis, the Lakers' Jordan Hill is one of the elite power forward/centers in the NBA.
After five seasons of starts and stops, Hill finally gets his chance to prove the naysayers wrong. He enters training camp with a new, two-year, $18 million contract and presumed role as the Lakers starting center come opening night October 28.
Until last season, Hill had never played more than 16 minutes per game in any of the previous four years. The former No. 1 pick of the New York Knicks (2009) was considered a high-energy power forward who might give you a few minutes of solid defensive play before fading into the background and onto the end of a bench.
Hill has always been productive and makes life miserable for the opposition with his heads-up, all-out hustle. He finally cracked the 20-plus minutes per game stat last season, mainly because former coach Mike D'Antoni was losing other players to injury and had no choice but to play him more.
Hill did not disappoint. In 20.8 minutes, he averaged 9.7 points and 7.4 rebounds. Among the highlights of his mini-breakout season: In nine games as the starting center, Hill averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds while logging 29 minutes per contest.
Hill also put together a stretch of seven consecutive double-digit games in December, registering 24 points (11-of-16 shooting), 17 rebounds and a season-high 36 minutes in a win over the Detroit Pistons. He also scored 28 points against both the Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks.
Hill recorded 18 points and 14 boards against the San Antonio Spurs in a 13-point win on the road in the team's season finale. The game was meaningless for both teams, but Hill made sure to leave his personal mark.
Jordan Hill has been underrated for too long. That should end this coming season.
1. Trevor Ariza: The One That Got Away
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Trevor Ariza was a second-round draft pick of the New York Knicks in 2004. The former UCLA standout, just 19 when he came to New York, was impressive enough to get the attention of former coach Larry Brown.
He started 12 games and played in 80, averaging six points in 17 minutes per contest. It was enough of an impression to make Ariza trade-worthy. He was shipped to the Orlando Magic, where he would spend a similar amount of time before coming home to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers.
It seems as if Ariza was in purple and gold for a number of seasons, mainly due to the impact he had during the team's championship of 2008-09.
Ariza started 20 games that season, playing in all 82 and averaging a career-best 24 minutes. Averaging nine points on 46 percent shooting was solid, but it was during the postseason run to the title that Ariza made his mark that should have cemented a long future with the Lakers.
Elevated to the role of starter, the 6'8", 220-pound Ariza averaged 31.4 minutes in which he shot 50 percent from the field (48 percent from three-point range), scored just over 11 points, pulled down four rebounds, had over two assists and two steals per game.
Ariza made big plays in big moments. His steal of an inbound pass from Denver Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups helped the Lakers take Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals in 2009.
Ariza also scored 13 points in the third quarter of an overtime victory against the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of the Finals.
Ariza left the Lakers that summer, signing a five-year, $33 million deal with the Houston Rockets. This came after learning that the Lakers signed small forward Ron Artest instead.
"The Lakers effectively declared that they preferred to have Artest -- older, physical, more versatile but also famously unpredictable -- at a lower price than the 6-foot-8 Ariza, who reached new levels of reliability as a defender, shooter and glue guy in the postseason.
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Ariza should have remained with the Lakers. They let a good one get away.
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