L.A. Lakers: The 10 Worst Starters of the Last Decade

This slideshow will look at the 10 worst L.A. Lakers starters of the last decade.

While players such as Smush Parker and Kwame Brown instantly come to mind when thinking of the worst Lakers starters of the past decade, not all of them are so obvious.

So which former and current Lakers round out the list? Let’s take a look.

(To be considered eligible for the slideshow, a player must have started at least 41 games in a given season.)

10. Ron Artest

It didn't take a basketball guru to realize Ron Artest didn't have as much success in his second year with the Lakers as he did in his first season with the team.

Artest averaged career lows in scoring and rebounds (eight points and three boards per game, respectively), in addition to his usual stellar defense seeming to decline a little.

9. Derek Fisher

As much as it hurts me to have Derek Fisher on this list, given everything he has done for the franchise throughout his career, it was nearly impossible to keep D-Fish off the list based on his performance in 2010-2011.

Fisher had his lowest scoring average since the 2000 season, in addition to his defense being one of the team's biggest liabilities.

8. Devean George

Devean George spent 48 games as the team's starting small forward during the turbulent 2003-2004 season and had the privilege of starting alongside Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton.

Despite showing flashes of brilliance, George never really developed into the player the Lakers hoped for.

"Devean George" and "potential" were often uttered in the same sentence during his seven years with the team.

7. Samaki Walker

Okay, here is a great question to spring on your friends next time you are all talking basketball:

Who was the Los Angeles Lakers' starting power forward on their 2002 championship-winning team?

If they tell you anyone but Samaki Walker, they are 100 percent wrong.

In his two seasons with the Lakers, Walker averaged five points and six rebounds per game.

6. Chris Mihm

Chris Mihm started all 75 games he played with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2004-2005 season. Fans went from cheering for Shaquille O'Neal as the team's starting center to cheering for Mihm, all in the span of one season.

Mihm's numbers were decent (nine points and six rebounds per game), but I am sure fans would have preferred to see the former Texas Longhorn coming off the pine.

5. Luke Walton

During the 2006-2007 season, Luke Walton spent 60 games as the Los Angeles Lakers' starting small forward. Considering the Lakers relied on Walton to start 60 games that season shows just how tough Kobe Bryant had it until Pau Gasol joined the team in 2008.

On the other hand, Walton had his best season in 2006-2007, averaging 11 points, five rebounds and four assists per game.

4. Chucky Atkins

After Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in the summer of 2004, the Los Angeles Lakers went through a small rebuilding phase. Between 2005 and 2007, the team failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs, including a dismal 34-win season in 2005.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Chucky Atkins was the team's starting point guard during the season the team failed to qualify for the postseason.

Atkins averaged 13 points and four assists per game in his one and only season wearing purple and gold.

3. Brian Cook

Brian Cook spent 46 games as a starter during the 2005-2006 season. Despite having an above-average jumper, Cook acted as though he was allergic to defense and rebounding, seemingly refusing to go anywhere near the painted area in his time with the Lakers.

2. Kwame Brown

I bet you couldn't find one Lakers fan who has many nice things about Kwame Brown’s stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Despite being nearly seven feet tall and weighing 270 pounds, the man failed to master one semi-dominant post move.

Add in his stone hands and poor work ethic, and there is no doubting Brown's second-place status on this "worst starter" slideshow.

This is why it truly amazes that any Lakers fan has the audacity to have ever criticized Pau Gasol.

1. Smush Parker

Having Smush Parker as your team's backup point guard would make most fanbases cringe, but Lakers fans had to endure Smush as their starting point guard for two full seasons (unfortunately, he played all 82 games both seasons).

The worst part is the fact that Smush actually believed he was good, often ignoring the guidance of Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson.

Does it truly surprise anyone Kobe demanded to be traded after playing with Kwame and Smush for two seasons?