It’s NBA playoff time! You know what that means, don’t you?
Trivia time!
Tell me which name doesn’t belong in the following list of names: Baron Davis, Jordan Farmar, Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook.
Give up?
I sure hope not. If this question were posed to me, first off, I would laugh. Secondly, I would say, “That’s the easiest question anyone’s ever asked me in my life. Ever.”
Farmar!
Why? Because he is the only one of these UCLA point guards who has not lived up to his individual potential since entering the NBA.
Now, I know what you Farmar fans are thinking, and yes, you are correct ““ Jordan is the only one of these four who has won an NBA championship. And I’m sure you’re also probably asking why I left out Earl Watson and Cedric Bozeman, both of whom came after Baron and before Jordan.
Well, the answer to the second question is that Davis, Farmar, Collison and Westbrook were all first-round picks in the NBA draft, while Watson was a second-rounder and Bozeman was a no-rounder. So, I’ve chosen to look at Bruin point guards who were actually expected to perform in the league.
As for the first question, yes, Farmar has accomplished the almighty goal: a championship ring.
But (there’s always a “but”) the fact is, Farmar had nothing to do with it.
If Jordan Farmar were not on the Lakers last year, and the Lakers had another point guard backing up Derek Fisher, do you really think it would have mattered? I mean, that’s how insignificant Farmar’s contributions have been to the Lakers over recent years.
Now, at this point, you’re probably asking yourself, “Why is he even talking about this? What does he have against Farmar?”
Why? Because in light of the Lakers v. Thunder first-round NBA playoff series, it’s become painfully clear just how much of a bust Jordan is and just how great of a pick Russell was.
I can remember the 2006 NBA draft.
The Lakers selected Farmar with the 26th pick, and having been a UCLA basketball fan and seeing Jordan play on several occasions when he was at Taft High School, I thought it was a steal. I thought Smush Parker was out the door.
And actually, I was right. Smush was kicked to the curb. But that didn’t mean that Farmar was the heir apparent to the throne that is the Lakers point guard position.
Instead, the Lakers reacquired Derek Fisher, and Farmar has been his backup ever since.
How disappointing.
Farmar has yet to live up to his potential and has served as Fisher’s backup for the past three seasons, unable to outproduce the veteran, whose game has dwindled to the point of embarrassment.
Fast forward to the 2008 NBA draft.
The Seattle SuperSonics or Oklahoma City Thunder, or whatever they were at the time, selected Russell Westbrook with the fourth overall pick, which in my mind, at the time, was a bogus decision.
Russell had proven little, playing in the shadow of Darren Collison for the past two years.
Boy, I need help with my player analysis.
Westbrook has not only proven his worth and proven that he was deserving of the No. 4 pick, but Russell is also on his way to becoming one of the elite point guards in the NBA.
And soon.
In his rookie season, Russ averaged 15.3 points and 5.3 assists, and in his second season, Russ upped his points per game to 16.1, ninth among point guards, to go along with eight assists per game, seventh among point guards.
In addition, so far in the recent playoff “showdown,” Russell scored 23 in Game 1 against the Lakers and 19 in Game 2.
Farmar, on the other hand, has amassed 10 points total in two games: five in Game 1 and five in Game 2.
Westbrook is outscoring Farmar, 42-10, in case you’re too lazy to do the math.
But wait, Westbrook has played 67 minutes in the series and Farmar has only played 23!
Wow, Farmar sure has it tough. He’s playing behind such a great point guard that it’s hard for him to get minutes.
Sarcasm.
Fact is, Jordan Farmar had the golden opportunity and has had it for years. He was selected by his hometown team to play in his home state in front of all his friends and family.
All he had to do was beat out Derek Fisher to be the starting point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Talk about the dream job.
Yet Farmar has failed.
And don’t give me the excuse that he needs time. Look at the season Darren Collison had. When Chris Paul went down with an injury, DC balled so hard that when CP came back, the rumor was the Hornets were going to deal their franchise player and hand the reigns over to Collison.
So don’t say that young players can’t have an impact.
Will Farmar get another ring before Westbrook and Collison get their first? Certainly.
Will Jordan make millions of dollars, get all the ladies and live the life of a celebrity? Absolutely.
Will J. Farm always have a job in the NBA? Sure.
But starting point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers is more than a job, it’s a career.
Good luck with your promotion, Jordan ““ we’re rooting for you.