亚博体育：湖人汗青 10巨细先锋排名

译者：JOGIzxy

校订：Lincoln & ;十一月的邦邦

这是"湖人10 年夜" 系列的第三期,湖人队是NBA 汗青中最好的球队之一.本期,我会给出球队小先锋位置的球员排名.

以下四点为入选尺度：

(1 )必需在湖人队效率最少三个赛季,由于效率时候是一个主要指标.

(2 )只有在湖人期间的表示才可纳入斟酌规模.

(3 )球员可以呈现在多个排名中.

(4 )明尼阿波利斯期间的球员也在斟酌规模内.

前两期是中锋和年夜先锋的排名,这一期,我给出的是小先锋的排名.这此中,既有不变低调的,收割声誉,成为美谈；也有震动冷艳的,夺人眼球,久不克不及忘.固然了,我不会厚今薄古的,此刻最先吧.

声誉提名：

克里斯 ·埃里克森—前UCLA 的一员,在60 年月末70 年月初为湖人效率了5 个赛季,场均9.2 分,作为一位替补,虽不凸起,但足够不变.退役多年以后,他曾和闻名的"湖人之声" 奇克?赫恩同伴讲解了8 年.

麦克 ·麦基—他是湖人Showtime 期间的替补,随队两获总冠军.他的上场时候其实不多,可是他可以或许将有限的时候阐扬到极致,在5 个赛季里,场均拿到8.2 分.

卢克 ·沃顿—他从不善于得分(场均不到5 分),在他9 年的湖人生活生计中,只有一个赛季得分上双.但他是一个超卓的传球手,对照赛的浏览和理解也十分超卓,在受伤时代,他在菲尔?杰克逊手下进修若何执教.

德文 ·乔治—他值得我们的必定,在湖人期间,他曾完成持续上场429 场的成绩,此中900%的时候作为替补登场,场均能拿到6 分.

还4 名小先锋,不外他们要末是效率仅两个赛季,要末是上场不足150 场,是以,不克不及呈现在这份榜单里,但他们的场均得分都能上双,别离是：康尼尔 ·霍金斯(70 年月初的球员,场均11 分,6.3 个篮板)、阿德里安 ·丹特利(70 年月末的球员,场均18.3 分,6.4 个篮板)、塞德里克 ·塞巴洛斯(90 年月的球员,场均20.9 分,7.3 个篮板)、格伦 ·莱斯(场均16.3 分,在2000 年随队夺冠).

此刻,我们最先倒数前10.

第10 位：罗恩 ·阿泰斯特/慈善 ·世界和平/熊猫之友

慈世平是球迷的最爱,他滑稽诙谐、直言不讳.可以这么说,慈世平是那段时候里加盟湖人的最年夜牌的自由球员.

慈世平属在戍守型的球员,身型强健.在加盟湖人之前,他曾取得过最好戍守球员,而且入选了戍守一阵,加盟湖人以后,戍守虽有下滑,但仍是可以最年夜水平的限制敌手,而且效力极高.

慈世平在湖人期间的进攻效力已比不上之前,在来到湖人的前7 个赛季里,他场均最少能获得15.5 分,04-05 赛季,他在步行者拿到生活生计最高的场均24.6 分.

来到湖人的第一个赛季,慈世平的得分场均不到10 分,可是他在10 年季后赛的两次要害投篮会永久被湖人球迷铭刻：西部决赛G5 打太阳时抢到科比投丢的前场板后的压哨补篮绝杀,在总决赛抢七战中第四节的阿谁要害三分,帮忙球队拿到了总冠军.

在2011 年,阿泰斯特正式把名字改成了慈世平.他在2013 年被湖人裁失落,可是一年以后,他又以一纸两年的合同回到了湖人.此次,他以宿将的身份回归球队,固然没有良多的上场时候,可是他更多起到的是率领新人成长的感化.总的来讲,慈世平在湖人的的6 个赛季中,场均能获得8.9 分.

第9 位：汤姆 ·霍金斯

"老鹰" 霍金斯原本是埃尔金 ·贝勒的替补,在他6 年(60 年月)的湖人生活生计中,他同样成了贝勒的老友.不外他并没有为湖人持续效率6 年,而是先打了3 年,然后转去了辛辛那提皇家队打了四年,才又回到湖人.

霍金斯一向是替补席上一个不变的火力点,场均得分在7.1 到11.6 之间,除去最后一个赛季,他的场均篮板在5.7 到6.9 之间,他的上场时候大要在20 分钟摆布.总的来讲,场均数据是9 分5.7 个篮板.

霍金斯分缘很好,受人爱好,退役了以后,他就一向留在了洛杉矶,先是在一家广播公司工作,后往来来往了道奇队工作了17 年.

在他的湖人生活生计中,球队曾3 次在总决赛中输给了凯尔特人,数年以后,当湖人在1985 年总决赛中击败凯尔特人时,霍金斯穿戴他的湖人队服在家中庆贺成功.

第8 位：凯兹尔 ·拉塞尔

拉塞尔是NBA 汗青上一把闻名的神经美金,手感火热时,不管从哪里出手,他几近都百步穿杨.

其实一最先,拉塞尔是尼克斯在1966 年选中的状元秀,固然他的职业生活生计和人们想象中的状元秀有所差距,但他照旧是尼克斯1970 年冠军声势中的主要一员.

后来拉塞尔被买卖到了勇士队,打了3 个赛季以后,他在1974 赛季来到了湖人.但是,那几年是湖人汗青上最落漠的期间之一了,拉塞尔本人也接近职业生活生计的尾声.

不外拉塞尔在湖人期间的投篮很不错,不论是替补仍是首发,他都是球队不成贫乏的一部门.拉塞尔在200 场湖人生活生计中,场均14.5 分,这几近都是在外线投出来的,射中率也能到达470%.

第7 位：里克 ·福克斯

福克斯是那种场上表示优在数据表现的球员.

在湖人的7 个赛季中,他唯一一个赛季得分上双——那是他方才加盟湖人,首发进场全数角逐获得的数据,那一年,他的上场时候、射中率和抢断均是湖人生活生计最高.

或许你会感觉,首个赛季竣事今后,福克斯就最先走下坡路了,但实则否则.他是湖人21 世纪初3 连冠声势中主要的一员,2000 年,他作为格伦 ·莱斯的替补登场,以后两年,福克斯均是首发.

福克斯长相不错,这让人们很难将他的脸与他凶暴结实的球风连系起来.他是一个奸刁的戍守者,每次戍守都竭尽全力、不留人情.所有的冠军球队都需要如许一名愿做脏活累活的人,福克斯在湖人饰演的就是如许的脚色.他不变而靠得住,7 年中,有4 年打满了82 场常规赛,1 年打了77 场.

福克斯是湖人队最好的弓手之一,3 分射中率也不错,场均8.7 分.退役后,转向好莱坞成长.

第6 位：吉姆 ·麦克米兰

读过这个系列文章的人可能会知道,总有那末几位湖人逐步被众人所遗忘,这些年里,因为如许或那样缘由,他们淡出了人们的视野.吉姆 ·麦克米兰就是如许的一名球员.

麦克米兰在1970 年第一轮被选中,但是只为球队打了3 年.可是,仅凭着后两年场均近19 分的优异表示,也足够让他呈现在这份榜单里了.

1971-72 赛季,贝勒在打了9 场角逐以后就伤退了,麦克米兰进入首发,不论是不是偶合,在那以后,湖人队面目一新,战绩一飞冲天.麦克米兰首发后的第二场角逐湖人就获得了成功,那场角逐还一个更怪异的身份——那是湖人33 连胜的第一场成功.直到此刻,北美职业同盟还没有任何一支球队能打破这连续胜记载.

阿谁赛季,湖人拿下了总冠军,那是他们搬到洛杉矶以后取得的第一座总冠军奖杯.麦克米兰场均得分排名球队第三,在他之前是名人堂球员古德里奇和韦斯特.以后的一年,固然湖人在总决赛中输给了尼克斯,可是麦克米兰的表示仍然抢眼.

1972-73 赛季,张伯伦忽然公布退役,湖报酬了弥补中锋位置的空白,用麦克米至好易来了布法罗英勇者队的埃尔摩尔 ·史姑娘.

对麦克米兰来说,他的湖人生活生计短暂而璀璨.总的来看,场均15.3 分(那时辰NBA 还没有3 分线),5.4 个篮板.同时,麦克米兰还以他的底角投篮著称.

第5 位：迈克尔 ·库珀

库珀十分万能,可以打多个位置,他的队友贾巴尔就由于他的顺应能力为他取了个绰号,叫"瑞士军美金".库珀其其实得分后卫的位置上也打过很长时候,是以,你们在那份榜单上也会看到他的名字.

库珀的超卓戍守能力广为人知,只要不是中锋,对方的箭头人物就是由他来戍守.库珀身高6 尺6 寸,体重170 磅,比起伯德,他要矮3 寸、轻50 磅,不外伯德说过,没有人能像库珀一样授与他如斯强硬的戍守.

开初,库珀的得分手段比力单一.年夜多都是和魔术师之间的空接扣篮、捡漏上篮和垃圾时候的得分,不外跟着时候的推移,他的兵器库逐步丰硕.

最主要的,库珀巴望成功,他是那种任何冠军球队都想要具有的球员,他能为球队来带精力上的鼓舞,作为80 年月湖人Showtime 时期的创作发明者之一,他随队取得了5 座总冠军奖杯.

库珀900%的角逐都是作为替补登场的,不外纵不雅他在湖人队的所有角逐,进场时候根基都过半.在职业生活生计中,他场均能获得8.9 分,但他对球队的进献弘远在这个数字.

第4 位：吉姆 ·波拉德

这真的是一名年夜隐在市的人物了,你们可能不熟习他,但波拉德是那支5 获总冠军的明尼阿波利斯湖人队的国家栋梁了.

已很少有人看过波拉德的角逐了,可是他打球真的很棒,就像他的队友乔治 ·麦肯一样,波拉德也能够算是50 年月的超等巨星.

波拉德身高6 尺4 寸,活动能力极强,他有一个绰号,叫"袋鼠小子" ,就是由于他的弹跳过分出众——他是最早在篮筐长进行高空功课的那批人之一.同时,波拉德的速度也是快的惊人,他经常能在阵地战转换进攻时率领球队打出快攻冲击波.

波拉德的控球手艺也很好,他很善于运球冲破,篮下终结能力也很强.更恐怖的是,他的戍守能力也是首屈一指的.

职业生活生计中,波拉德四次入选全明星(固然那时辰同盟只有10 支球队),场均得分不变在10.8 分到15.5 分之间,若是把样本缩小到在湖人队的那7 年,数据就酿成了场均13.2 分7.8 个篮板.

第3 位：贾马尔 ·威尔克斯

威尔克斯绰号"丝绸" ,仅仅看名字,我们就知道他在场上是何等如鱼得水.在进入同盟前,他效率在UCLA ,闪烁年夜学同盟.进入同盟以后,他先在勇士队效率了3 年,然后才在1977 年以自由球员的身份加盟湖人,和贾巴尔、丹特利和新秀控卫诺姆 ·尼克森成了队友.

以后的8 个赛季中,威尔克斯就是"不变" 的代名词,此中的7 年,他的场均得分上双.威尔克斯的投篮姿式有一点奇异,他出手前会把球收到脑后,但这其实不影响他的射中率.前湖人传奇播音员奇克 ·赫恩称他的投篮为"20 尺的上篮".

威尔克斯身高6 尺6 ,体重190 磅,是一名快攻好手,他人也很不错,固然代表湖人两次入选全明星,但他绝不在乎人们将赞美都赐与他的队友贾巴尔和魔术师约翰逊.

威尔克斯生活生计最好角逐应当是1980 年总决赛对阵76 人的第6 场.对那场角逐,球迷的记忆多是贾巴尔因为脚踝扭伤而缺席,魔术师顶上中锋的位置砍下了42 分15 个篮板的惊人数据.但在那场角逐,威尔克斯的表示也很冷艳,他拿下了职业生活生计最高的37 分,同时还10 个篮板,在球队最需要他的时辰自告奋勇.

在1980-82 赛季,威尔克斯持续3 个赛季场均得分上20 ,此中的两个赛季,湖人拿到了总冠军.以后的84-85 赛季,威尔克斯遭受了伤病,限制了他的上场时候.终究,威尔克斯是以终结了职业生活生计,他的最后一个赛季是在快船队渡过的.

威尔克斯的场均得分和总得分均排在湖人队史第10 位,别离是18.4 分和10601 分(总得分这一项领前后一位良多).他的52 号球衣也已退役,吊挂在球馆上空.

第2 位：詹姆斯?沃西

听到詹姆斯?沃西的名字,你很难不联想到"年夜心脏" ,你可能会感觉很希奇,为何在其他球队都毫无疑问可以或许排到第一的沃西会来到第二位.

沃西是1983 年的状元秀,这个签位是湖人3 年之前和骑士买卖获得的,支出的价格是：一个还算不错,但绝对称不上优异的前场球员.成果,这桩买卖成了湖人最好的几桩买卖之一.

沃西的菜鸟赛季和最后一年,他打的都是替补,另外的时代10 年,他根基上都是首发进场,场均得分均能上双,并且7 次入选全明星.

作为Showtime 时期的一员,沃西取代了威尔克斯出任球队的首发小先锋,对内的先发球员还包罗贾巴尔、魔术师、库珀和拜伦 ·斯科特,这一声势可以称得上是湖人队史最好了,就算是放眼NBA ,也鲜有敌手.沃西是一位超卓的快攻终结者,在阵地进攻中,他的灵敏性可让他跟上几近任何人的持球冲破.

在沃西效率湖人时代,球队6 进总决赛(固然他曾在1983 年由于腿伤缺席了一次),三次夺得总冠军.就像威尔克斯样,沃西也是一名年夜排场球员,聚光灯越是闪亮,他的阐扬越是超卓.在1988 年的总决赛抢七年夜战中,他拿下了他生活生计独一一次三双——36 分,16 个篮板和10 个助攻,也助他拿下了总决赛MVP.

固然,他的别的两个冠军也是十分具成心义的,由于它们都是面临凯尔特人时拿下的,沃西也在这两次总决赛之旅中饰演了十分主要的脚色,他是少少几位季后赛数据优在常规赛的球员.

全部职业生活生计,沃西场均17.6 分,5.1 个篮板,而在季后赛,这个数据来到了21.6 分(湖人队史第6 ),5.2 个篮板.他的常规赛总得分在球队汗青上能排到第6 (进场次数第4 ),季后赛的总得分位列第7 (进场次数第8 ).

固然了,沃西的球衣此刻也已高高吊挂在斯台普斯的上空.

第1 位：埃尔金?贝勒

即便是拿沃西这类年夜神来比力,埃尔金 ·贝勒仍然是当之无愧的湖人队史第一小先锋.

有一种说法,贝勒是最被轻忽的巨星.年青的球迷们,你们没能有机遇看到他的角逐,真的是错过了传奇的表演.事实上,阿谁时期的球员都是如斯,他们的角逐很少有电视转播,此刻仅存有很少的影象资料,来向我们展现他们的表演.

贝勒长于空中功课,动作目炫狼籍,没人能看清晰他事实干了些甚么.他仿佛有一种超能力,比你先起跳,比你晚落地,在空中做出一些匪夷所思的动作来.

贝勒可以以任何体例出手投篮,你很难想象会有此外球员在那样的角度出手.从康尼 ·霍金斯到J 博士,从迈克尔 ·乔丹到科比 ·布莱恩特,这些传奇无一破例的认可,他们的出手体例和贝勒有几分类似.

贝勒生活生计的前两个赛季赛在明尼阿波利斯渡过,以后才在1960 年随球队来到了洛杉矶.他的菜鸟赛季便场均24.9 分,以后6 个赛季,场均得分就再也没有下过25 ,60-63 这三个赛季,场均得分更是冲破了30.不外随后,贝勒遭受了膝伤,差点就义了他的职业生活生计,场均得分敏捷滑落到了16.6 分.不外仅仅低沉了一个赛季,以后的四年里,数据又回到了24 分以上.

贝勒地点的那支湖人对在60 年月曾6 次在总决赛中面临凯尔特人,每次都是铩羽而归.6 次中有3 次,球队打到了抢七,更有一次把抢七年夜战拖入了加时.不外遗憾的是,贝勒和韦斯特这伟年夜的二人组合在面临波士顿的名人堂声势时(比尔 ·拉塞尔、鲍勃 ·库西、汤姆 ·海因索恩、萨姆 ·琼斯、约翰 ·哈夫利切克和一众板凳匪徒),没能拿下任何一场总决赛.

在1962 年,贝勒创下了一个至今未破的总决赛记实——他面临凯尔特人砍下了61 分,在常规赛时,他曾在尼克斯头上拿下过71 分,在科比的81 分冷艳世界之前,这一向是湖人的常规赛得分记实.

总的来讲,在贝勒14 年的职业生活生计中,场都可以拿到27.4 分,湖人队史最好.在总得分榜上,他以23149 分位列第四,进场846 次,位列第十.虽然他只有6 尺5 ,他的场均篮板数却和乔治 ·麦肯持平,到达了13.5 个.季后赛时,贝勒的数据为场均27 分(队史第2 )12.9 个篮板(队史第3 ),总得分3623 ,排在第5.

固然了,贝勒的球衣高悬在球馆上空.本年的早些时辰,球馆外面还建起了他的雕像,埃尔金 ·贝勒,这位11 次入选全明星的球员,算得受骗之无愧的NBA 汗青最好之一.

下面是按进场时候对他们的排名：波拉德-贝勒-霍金斯-麦克米兰-拉塞尔-威尔克斯-库珀-沃西-福克斯-慈世平

原文：

Los Angeles Lakers: 10 greatest small forwards in Lakers history

by Ed Schrenzel

This is the third installment in a multi-part series ranking the best Los Angeles Lakers at each position.

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the greatest franchises in the NBA. Here , we are continuing our series breaking down the greatest Lakers to ever play position by position.

As a reminder , this is the criteria for a player to be included on the list:

? Played a minimum of 3 seasons with the Lakers. Longevity with the team is a factor.

? Only his performance with the Lakers counts

? Can be rated at more than one position

? Minneapolis Laker players are included

Previous installments featured rankings of centers and power forwards. This time we rate the top small forwards , which will include a mixture of steady , consistent longer-term players with a couple who shined brightly for a shorter period of time. There was also a conscious attempt not to favor more recent players who are better remembered than some of the oldies-but-goodies.

Honorable Mention:

? Keith Erickson – The former UCLA Bruin played five seasons for the Lakers in the late 60 ’s and early 70 ’s , averaging 9.2 points. He was steady and solid , a valuable reserve. Years later , he became a broadcast partner to the legendary Chick Hearn for eight years.

? Mike McGee – He was a reserve on the Showtime Lakers , including two title teams. He didn ’t play big minutes , but he made the most of the time he was given , averaging 8.2 PPG over five seasons.

? Luke Walton – He was never a big scorer (just under 5 PPG ), averaging double figures only once in his nine-year Lakers playing career. But he was an excellent passer and had a good feel for the game. And while injured , he studied coaching under Phil Jackson.

? Devean George – He deserves some recognition for logging 429 games in a Lakers uniform , about 90 percent of them as a reserve. He scored 6 PPG.

? Four different small forwards played only two seasons and fewer than 150 games each for the Lakers , not enough to qualify for the top 10. But all were double-figure contributors: Connie Hawkins (11 PPG and 6.3 RPG , the early 70 ’s ), Adrian Dantley (18.3 and 6.4 , late 70 ’s ), Cedric Ceballos (20.9 and 7.3 , 90 ’s ) and Glen Rice (16.3 points , including the 2000 title team ).

Now on with the top 10 countdown.

No. 10: Ron Artest/Metta World Peace

A fan favorite mostly because of his quirky personality and willingness to speak his mind , Artest was the last reasonably big name free agent to sign with the Lakers.

An exceptionally strong man , he was particularly known for his outstanding defense. Before joining the Lakers he was a former Defensive Player of the Year and was chosen to five All-NBA Defensive Teams. His defense may not have quite reached that level with LA , but he still found ways to be effective and to frustrate opponents.

Also , he was no longer the offensive force that he once had been. In his last seven seasons before coming to the Lakers he had averaged 15.5 points or better , including a career-high 24.6 in 2004-05 with Indiana.

In his first four seasons with the Lakers , Ron averaged just under 10 PPG. But he will always be remembered for two big shots in his first season during the 2010 playoffs: a buzzer-beating follow-up of a Kobe Bryant miss that won Game 5 against Phoenix , and a huge 3-pointer in the final minutes of Game 7 of the Finals to secure a title win over the Celtics.

In 2011 , Artest legally changed his name to Metta World Peace. He was waived by the Lakers in 2013 but joined them for two more seasons a year later. This time around , he was mostly a veteran presence for the younger players and didn ’t get much court time. Overall in six Lakers seasons , he averaged 8.9 PPG.

No. 9: Tommy Hawkins

The Hawk was primarily a backup and friend to the great Elgin Baylor during his six Laker seasons in the 1960 ’s. He played for them for his first three seasons , then was traded to the Cincinnati Royals , where he played four years. Then the Lakers re-purchased his contract , and he played his final three seasons in L.A.

Tommy was a consistent presence off the bench throughout his Laker career. His scoring average varied only slightly , ranging from 7.1 to 11.6 points per game. In five of his six years , he averaged between 5.7 and 6.9 rebounds. He generally played about half the game , and overall averaged 9.0 and 5.7.

Hawkins was a very likable man with a gregarious personality and became a fixture in Los Angeles when his playing days ended. He first worked as a local broadcaster and then went on to work for the Dodgers for 17 years.

In his Lakers career , the team lost in the Finals three times to the Celtics. Years later , when LA finally beat Boston to win the title in 1985 , the Hawk was shown celebrating at his home while wearing his old Lakers jersey.

No. 8: Cazzie Russell

"Jazzy Cazzie" was one of the NBA ’s best all-time streak shooters. When he got hot , it seemed like he couldn ’t miss , no matter where he shot from.

He was originally the top pick of the 1966 pick by the Knicks. Although he didn ’t have the type of career you ’d expect from the No. 1 pick , he still was a major weapon for New York and was a valued member of their 1970 title team.

After starring for Golden State for three years , he was traded to the Lakers , where he played another three seasons , all in the mid-1970 ’s. Unfortunately , that was a time that the team started to fall on leaner times , and Russell was nearing the end of his 12-year NBA career.

But Cazzie brought his jump shot with him to L.A., and was a big contributor , both as a starter and reserve. He averaged 14.5 points in his roughly 200-game Laker stint. And even more impressively for a player who mostly shot from the outside , he made over 47 percent of his field goal attempts , the highest of his career.

No. 7: Rick Fox

Foxy was one of those players whose value to his team exceeds his rather modest statistics.

In 7 seasons with the Lakers , he averaged double figures in points only once. That occurred during his initial year with the club when he started all 82 games and also established his Laker highs in minutes played , shooting percentage and steals.

It might appear that his career went downhill from there , but that assumption would be incorrect. He was a major contributor to the Lakers "three-peat" title run from 2000-02 , the first year as a reserve backing up Rice , the next two seasons as a starter.

Fox , who was known for his good looks , was also somewhat paradoxically a scrappy , hard-nosed defender , a no-nonsense player who gave full effort all the time. Every title team needs a player who doesn ’t mind doing the dirty work , and Rick filled that role with the Lakers. He was consistent and reliable , and played in all 82 games 4 times in 7 seasons , and in 77 games another year.

But Fox also was one of the team ’s better 3-point shooters and averaged a respectable 8.7 points for LA before retiring to test the Hollywood waters.

No. 6: Jim McMillian

Readers of this series know that there seem to be several "forgotten" Lakers , players who for one reason or another have not been well-remembered through the years. Jimmy Mac was one of those guys.

He was a first-round draft pick in 1970 and only played three seasons with the club. But the final two of his years , when he averaged close to 19 points per game each season , were enough to earn him this ranking.

After Baylor was forced to retire 9 games into the 1971-72 season , McMillian stepped into the starting lineup. And , coincidently or not , the Lakers took off like a rocket. In the very next game , they won the first of what turned out to be 33 straight games , which remains the longest winning streak in any of the four major North American pro sports leagues.

The Lakers went on that season to capture its first title in Los Angeles. Jimmy was the third-leading scorer on the team behind future Hall of Famers Gail Goodrich and Jerry West. He repeated that performance the following season when the team lost in the Finals to the Knicks.

When Wilt Chamberlain abruptly retired after that 1972-73 season , the Lakers were in dire need of a center. So they traded McMillian to Buffalo for Elmore Smith.

His Lakers career was short but quite sweet. Overall , he averaged 15.3 points (in the days before the 3-point shot ) and 5.4 rebounds. Mac was especially well known for his almost automatic baseline jumper.

No. 5: Michael Cooper

Coop was an extremely versatile multi-position player. Teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar labeled him a "Swiss army knife" because of his adaptability. He played more shooting guard than small forward and will be ranked there as well.

Michael was known first and foremost for his fearless defense , almost always guarding the opponent ’s best-scoring non-center. At 6-6 , 170 , he gave up 3 inches and 50 pounds to Larry Bird , but Larry Legend said nobody guarded him tougher than Cooper did.

In his first few years , his offensive range was rather limited , consisting mostly of "Coop-a-Loop" dunks , an early version of the lob pass , and other lay-ins or garbage baskets. But as time went on and he became quite a respectable shooter.

Above all , Coop was a winner , one of those guys who does whatever is necessary that every championship team must have. He was an enormously important member of the 1980 ’s Showtime Lakers , helping them win 5 titles.

He came off the bench in 900% of his games , but in nearly every one of his 12 seasons , all with the Lakers , he played more than half the game. For his career he averaged just 8.9 points , but his value to the team transcended his scoring.

No. 4: Jim Pollard

A true oldie but goodie , he was a mainstay on all 5 Minneapolis Laker championship teams.

Few readers have ever seen him play , but he apparently was quite talented. Like his teammate , dominating center George Mikan , Pollard was widely considered to be one of the best players of the early 1950 ’s.

A tremendous 6-foot-4 athlete who was nicknamed "The Kangaroo Kid" for his outlandish jumping ability , Jim was one of the first players to play above the rim. He was also one of the fastest players in the league and often led the charge downcourt to become the finisher on the fast-break.

Pollard was an excellent ball-handler who was adept at beating his opponent off the dribble while having the agility to finish at the hoop. Plus he was known as a top defender.

He was a four-time All-Star , albeit in a 10-team league. He consistently scored between 10.8 and 15.5 PPG , and over his 7-season Lakers career he averaged 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

No. 3: Jamaal Wilkes

Nicknamed "Silk" , because of how smooth he looked on the court , the former UCLA star played his first 3 seasons with the Warriors before signing as a free agent in 1977 with the Lakers , joining Kareem , Dantley and rookie point guard Norm Nixon.

Over the next 8 seasons , he was a model of consistency , averaging double figures in points for the first 7 years. Silk was known for the weird-looking corkscrew windup on his jumper when he brought the ball back behind his head before releasing it. But that shot was so reliable that famed Lakers announcer Chick Hearn labeled it the "20-foot layup".

The slender (6-6 , 190 ) Wilkes was also an excellent finisher on the fast break. And he was also a great teammate. Although he made the All-Star team twice for the Lakers , his ego was quite content to allow most of the accolades to fall on his more famous superstar teammates like Abdul-Jabbar and later also Magic Johnson.

Probably the best game of his career occurred in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Fans may recall that was the game which Kareem was forced to miss with a sprained ankle , and Magic stepped in to jump center and have a fabulous performance with 42 points and 15 rebounds. But Wilkes was also outstanding , scoring a career-high 37 points and grabbing 10 boards just when his team needed him the most.

He averaged over 20 points per game in 3 straight seasons from 1980-82 , and not coincidentally the Lakers won titles in 2 of those years. But by the 1984-85 season , injuries began to limit his court time and eventually ended his career after he played his final NBA season with the Clippers.

Silk ranks 10th all-time among LA Lakers in both points per game (18.4 ) and total points (10 ,601 , which no player is anywhere near close to passing ). He is also one of 10 LA Laker players to have his number retired and his jersey hanging in the rafters at Staples Center.

No. 2: James Worthy

When you consider just how good Big Game James was , it ’s remarkable that he isn ’t the #1 small forward in Lakers history. On several teams , he would have been its best player ever , at any position.

Worthy was the #1 pick of the 1983 draft. The Lakers got that pick three years earlier from Cleveland in exchange for Don Ford , a pretty good but never great forward. It turned out to be one of the best trades the Lakers ever made.

In both his rookie and final years , James came off the bench. In the 10 years in-between , he almost always started , and averaged double figures in points every year. In 7 of those seasons , he was chosen for the All-Star team.

An integral part of the Showtime Lakers , he replaced Wilkes as the starting small forward and teamed with fellow stars Abdul-Jabbar , Magic , Cooper and Byron Scott to form the nucleus of what is generally regarded as the best Lakers team ever , and one of the best in NBA history. Worthy was a tremendous finisher on the fast break. And in a set offense , his remarkable quickness enabled him to beat virtually any defender off the dribble.

During his career the Lakers made it to the Finals 6 times (although he missed the 1983 Finals with a broken leg ) and won 3 titles. Like Wilkes before him , Worthy also had his finest game when the spotlight shined the brightest. In Game 7 of the 1988 Finals , he recorded his only career triple double with 36 points , 16 rebounds and 10 assists. Fittingly , he was named Finals MVP.

His other titles were perhaps even more meaningful because they came against the hated Celtics. James was a big factor in both championships. In fact , he ’s one of the few players whose playoff stats exceed his regular season numbers.

Over his career he averaged 17.6 points and 5.1 rebounds. In the playoffs they rose to 21.1 (6th all-time among LA Lakers ) and 5.2. Among LA Lakers , he is 6th in total regular season points and 7th in playoff points. He also ranks 4th in regular season games played and 8th in playoff games.

And of course , his jersey is also retired and hanging at Staples.

No. 1: Elgin Baylor

As good a player as Worthy was (and he was VERY good ), it ’s not even close. There is absolutely no doubt that Baylor ranks #1 among small forwards.

It ’s possible that Elgin is the most overlooked , under-rated superstar of all-time. For those readers who were too young to see him in action , you missed watching a very special player. Unfortunately he played at a time when few NBA games were televised , and there is limited video of him in action to be seen.

Baylor was a mid-air acrobat who did things nobody else was doing. He seemed to have an ability to hang in the air longer than anybody and had the agility to maneuver his body in ways never seen before.

Elgin mastered every shot you could imagine , and several that nobody could , from seemingly impossible angles. A direct line can be drawn from him to Connie Hawkins to Dr. J to Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant , who admits that he "stole" moves from Baylor.

Elgin played his first two years in Minneapolis before moving west with the Lakers to L.A. in 1960. He averaged 24.9 points his rookie year , and bested that the next 6 straight seasons , including 3 consecutive years when he averaged over 30 PPG. Following a knee injury that would plague him the rest of his career , he dropped to only 16.6 points in 1965-66 , but then had 4 successive years of 24 or more PPG.

His Lakers teams had the misfortune of playing the Celtics in the Finals 6 times in the 60s and came up short each time. Three of those series went 7 games , and once game 7 went into overtime. But the dynamic duo of Baylor and his great teammate Jerry West were always outdone by a Boston team that featured multiple Hall-of Famers , including Bill Russell (a good friend of Baylor ’s ), Bob Cousy , Tom Heinsohn , Sam Jones and John Havlicek , along with several others.

In 1962 , Baylor set a Finals record that still stands today when he scored 61 points against the Celtics. He also scored 71 points in a regular season game against the Knicks , the highest by a Laker until Bryant scored 81 in 2006.

For his 14-year career , all with the Lakers , Baylor averaged 27.4 PPG , the best in Lakers history. He also ranks 4th in total points (23 ,149 ), 10th in games played (846 ), and even though he was only 6-5 , he is tied for second with George Mikan in rebounds per game (13.5 ). In the postseason he ranks second on the team in PPG (27.0 ), third in rebounding (12.9 ) and 5th in points (3 ,623 ).

Naturally his Lakers jersey is retired. And earlier this year , at long last , a statue in his honor was unveiled outside Staples Center. Elgin , an 11-time All-Star , is truly one of the all-time NBA greats.

For those following closely , here is the chronological order of the 10 best small forwards: Pollard-Baylor-Hawkins-McMillian-Russell-Wilkes-Cooper-Worthy-Fox-Artest.