Derek Fisher
Fisher has never been a prolific scorer, averaging 9.0 ppg for his career. And at the height of 6’1, he’s technically a small guard.
But what he lacks in height, he makes up for with his 210 pound frame.
Derek brings more to his team than most 25 point a night players can provide. He is the leader of his team. Not as Kobe is with his dominance on the floor, but with his words. Motivating each player in huddles, the locker room during halftime, or even through tweets as he did during his suspension after the shoulder blow he gave Luis Scola in Game 2 of the 2009 Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Rockets.
Most of all, the real Derek Fisher shows up in the playoffs, and in truer form for the Finals. He seems to live for the clutch moments. He has 40 3-point shots made in 6 championships series with the Lakers. That’s third, behind only Robert Horry’s 56, and Michael Jordan’s 42. Game 4 of the 2009 NBA Finals showed his ensuing confidence, knocking down back-to-back 3′s after missing 5 attempts prior.
This season, his statistical production has fallen off across the board. He’s averaging 7.6 points and 2.5 assists a game, as opposed to 9.9 points and 3.2 assists last year. For a guy putting up about 9 points his entire career, it doesn’t seem like much of a decline. But at 35, the critics question how much Derek has left in the tank. And with two young backup guards in Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown, some fans may wonder if Fisher should be readying himself to pass the torch and take a backseat.
What keeps him as the Lakers’ starting point guard is his perseverance, and his willingness to try, knowing he may fail.
That is one of the many reasons that Derek Fisher is one of the most respected players in the league.
Next: The Glue: Lamar Odom
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