Derek Fisher 2.0?

The 1996 NBA Draft will forever stand out in the minds of Lakers’ fans as the day Kobe Bryant entered the NBA, drafted by the then-Charlotte Hornets who proceeded to trade him to the Lakers 15 days later. The Lakers had their own selection in that draft as well, using the 24^th overall pick in the first round to draft an unheralded point guard out of the University of Arkansas, Little Rock- some guy named Derek Fisher. Fisher went on to spend the first eight years of his career with the Lakers, teaming with, among others, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Robert Horry to win three NBA championships (2000-02).

Fast forward to the 2006 NBA Draft. A decade after drafting Derek Fisher, the Los Angeles Lakers, picking 26^th, again used a late first-round selection to add a point guard to the roster- this time selecting Los Angeles native Jordan Farmar from UCLA. After a decent-but-mostly-uneventful rookie season in which he averaged 4.4 points, 1.9 assists (vs. just 1 turnover) and just over 15 minutes per game, Farmar dedicated himself to improving his game and his conditioning as much as possible the off-season, even joining some fellow NBA players in Bora Bora for some intense yoga sessions. He reported to training camp ready assume an increased role with the Lakers and wasted little time in showing off the improvements he’d made over the summer, more than doubling his scoring and assist averages in the preseason, in only about 5 more minutes per game. This improvement looks to have carried over to the beginning of the regular season as well, with Farmar averaging 7 points, 2.6 assists (down from about 4 in the preseason, although his assist/turnover ratio is an impressive 2.6:1) and shooting just under 50% from the field (up from just 42% as a rookie) in just under 20 minutes a game. And frankly, Jordan Farmar’s statistics do not do justice to the quality of his play and the strides he’s made as an NBA point guard! Jordan Farmar’s rather modest 12 point, 4 assist stat line is dwarfed by the incredible role he played in sparking the Lakers to their November 4 victory over the Utah Jazz. Watching that game, you’d swear he had 12-and-4 in just the fourth quarter!

So what’s the significance? What’s the connection between Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar? Well, consider Farmar’s on-court demeanor and style of play, the fact that he, like Fisher, seldom, if ever makes a mental mistake. Though Fisher wasn’t necessarily a deadly outside shooter, if Kobe was not an option, most Lakers fans preferred that Fish take the big shot. And though Fisher never put up eye-popping, Steve Nash-type assist numbers (his career high is just 4.3 apg), but it seemed like he was always there to make the key pass.

Again, the importance? Two days after the ten-year anniversary of the 1996 NBA Draft, the Lakers seem to have duplicated the feat by drafting the man who looks poised to become the next Derek Fisher!