Ex-Laker Eddie Jones Was a Unique Specimen

What is Eddie Jones’ legacy?  For me, he is one of my all-time favorites, even though he only spent four and a half years with the Lakers.  He was quite, down to earth, one of the good guys in the league.  A player you wanted to succeed and easily rooted for.

He came into the league the same year I entered High School.  I guess our minds are all very susceptible during that time and as such, Eddie was always on my mind.  Every time I needed a user name, I used EJsix (he changed his number from 25 to six before he left the Lakers because they retired Gail Goodrich’s number 25).

Collecting basketball cards was a hobby as mine as a kid that has continued on up until last year.  It is no coincidence that I have more Eddie Jones basketball cards than any other individual player, even Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson.

Few might remember, but before they chanted “Kobe, Kobe” in STAPLES Center, they chanted “Eddie, Eddie” in the Great Western Forum.

I have to admit, as much as I love Magic Johnson and Byron Scott; as much as I appreciate the championship years of Ron Harper and Kobe Bryant then Derek Fisher and Kobe; and as much as I love D Fish and Kobe now; my all-time favorite Lakers back-court tandem has to be Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones (as a side note, my favorite random back-court favorites are Sedale Threatt and Anthony Peeler).  They were flashy and exciting.  Nick and Eddie could beat you from the outside, break you off the dribble, or slash in the lane.  Nick the Quick was flashy; Eddie was silky smooth.

Still, Eddie got traded from the Lakers for two reasons:  1) To open up more playing time for the blossoming Kobe, and 2) because he supposedely “chocked” one too many times during the playoffs.

The 1997-1998 Season

This was his last full year in a Lakers uniform.

The Lakers had four All-Stars:  Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal.

He finished sixth in the league in effective field goal percentage (55.5%), which takes into account three point shooting.  He was seventh in the league in three pointers made (143).  He made his second all-star game and the All-Defensive Second team.  He was sixth, eigth, fourth, and sixth in steals per game in his first four years in the league.

Ironically, Kobe thrived at the small forward spot next to Eddie when they tried it out for the first 20 games of the ‘98-’99 season.  Kobe averaged 19.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.2 bpg on 46% from the field after averaging 15/3/2.5 the year before.  More importantly, the Lakers were 14-6.

Can you imagine Jerry West going to owner Jerry Buss and saying he wants to trade their 27 year old two time all-star who is making two million per year?  I guess it all worked out seeing we won a championship the next year with his replacement, Glen Rice.

Eddie in the Playoffs

In 36 career playoff games with the Lakers, he put up a respectable 13.3 ppg, 3.75 rpg, 2.42 apg, 1.42 spg, .97 bpg, 1.42 3pg, 1.42 tpg on 45.6% from the field, 43.2% from three, and 77.9% from the foul line, and that is despite a horrible performance  in his rookie year.

The year he got traded to the Charlotte Hornets, he put up 17/4/2.5, 1.5 threes, 2 steals and nearly 2 blocks in 13 playoff games.  He also had a PER rating of 20.6 (the league average is 15), his highest yet in the playoffs.  The Los Angeles critics still claimed he chocked in the big games.

His numbers vs the Utah Jazz when they swept us in the ‘98 playoffs were 15/4/3.25, 1 three, 2.5 spg, 1.75 bpg, and only 1 tpg on 41.1% from the field.  Clearly, it wasn’t all Eddie’s fault.

Lakers All-Time Leader Board

Fifth in 3-Pt Field Goals — 489

Ninth in 3-Pt Percentage — 37.8%

First in Steals Per Game — 2.1

10th in Effective Field Goal Percentage — 52.9%

Seventh in Offensive Rating — 114.7

Fifth and Ninth Most 3-Pt Field Goals Made in a Season — 152 and 143

Third and Eighth Most Steals in a Season — 189 and 160

Scoring

He was never a prolific scorer, more of a slasher and spot up shooter.  His career numbers in 954 games are 14.8 ppg, 4 rpg, 3 apg, 1.6 3pg, 1.7 spg, 0.6 bpg, 1.6 tpg on 43.7% from the field, 37.3% from three, and 80.9% from the free throw line.

While he may have only scored 30 or more only 25 times, his teams were 21-4 when he did.

His career high scoring was 38 with the Heat at age 31; his career high as a Laker was 35 when he went 14-17 from the field (82.4%).

3-Point Shooting

He hit five or more threes 26 times with a high of seven when he played for the Charlotte Hornets; he hit five or more six times for the Lakers in four years.

Eddie is sixth all-time in three point field goals made with 1,546 on 38% shooting.

Defense

What he was most known for was his defense.

His 1.7 steals per game in his career ranks 27th all-time.

He had five or more steals in an astounding 53 games and his career high was nine playing for the Hornets; he did it for the Lakers 21 times.

He had two steals and two blocks in the same game 33 times while playing for the Lakers; 74 times overall.

He had four or more blocks 14 times in his career.  Not bad for a player 6′6.

Put it all together, Eddie had three or more threes, steals, and blocks in the same game six times.

Even more impressive, 42 times he had two or more threes, steals, and blocks.

Eddie’s Legacy

*players who have had two or more threes/steals/blocks in a single game

1. Shawn Marion — 45 times
   
2. Eddie Jones — 42
3. Clifford Robinson — 35
4. Dirk Nowitzki — 34
5. Paul Pierce — 33
6. Robert Horry — 33
7. Vince Carter — 32
8. Rasheed Wallace — 30
9. Scottie Pippen –29
10. LeBron James — 22
11. Tracy McGrady — 22
12. Latrell Sprewell — 19
13. Baron Davis — 18
14. Clyde Drexler — 18 (missing stats from his first three years)
15. Kobe Bryant — 17
16. Antoine Walker — 16
17. Danny Granger — 15
18. Ron Artest — 15
19. Shane Battier – 15
20. Dan Majerle — 14
21. Ron Harper — 13
22. Rashard Lewis — 12
23. Jason Richardson — 12
24. Hersey Hawkins — 12
25. Lamar Odom — 11
26. Andrei Kirilenko — 11
27. Mookie Blaylock — 11
28. Larry Bird — 11 (missing stats from his first seven years, so who knows)
29. Josh Smith — 9
30. Gerald Wallace — 9
31. Stephen Jackson — 9
32. Michael Jordan – 9 (missing stats from his first two years)
33. Jason Kidd — 8
34. Charles Barkley — 8 (missing stats from his first two years)
35. Gary Payton — 8
36. Dwayne Wade — 7
37. James Posey — 7
38. Ray Allen — 6
39. Andre Iguodala – 6
40. Rudy Gay – 6
41. Francisco Garcia – 6
42. Reggie Miller — 6
43. Glen Rice — 6
44. Dominique Wilkins — 6 (missing stats from his first four years)
45. Kevin Garnett — 5
46. Josh Howard — 5
47. Troy Murphy — 5
48. Tim Thomas – 5
49. Joe Johnson — 4
50. Hedo Turkoglu — 4
51. Keith Van Horn — 4
52. Allen Iverson — 3
53. Mike Miller – 3
54. Raja Bell — 3
55. Andrea Bargnani — 3
56. Carmelo Anthony — 2
57. Mehmet Okur — 2
58. Tayshaun Prince — 2
59. Antawn Jamison — 2
60. Al Harrington — 2
61. Manu Ginobili — 2
62. Nick Van Exel — 2
63. John Starks — 2
64. Kevin Durant — 1
65. Caron Butler — 1
66. Cedric Ceballos — 1

Eddie Jones will always hold a special place in my heart, even though letting him go led to a more rapid growth for Kobe and eventually got us three championships.  Regardless, I will always believe that Eddie could have helped the Lakers win a ring, if he was allowed to play for coach Phil Jackson, rather than Del Harris.  His skill set would have been a perfect fit in the triangle.

He played 15 seasons for five teams, but unfortunately ended his career with two forgettable years in Memphis and Dallas.

His legacy is his versatility as a player (represented above); a guy who I loved because he played hard on both sides of the ball.  If his shot was not falling, he still was not a liability because you knew he would bring it every night on the defensive end.

He will always be a Laker to me.