Farmar Nice Fit for Lakers

Following a two-year career at UCLA, rookie Jordan Farmar figures to spend most of his first year in the league on the Lakers bench, learning from the Zen Master and taking his lumps in practice. Farmar was a much ballyhooed recruit out of Taft High School in Los Angeles. From the time he stepped on the Westwood campus, Farmar was hailed as the next great point guard at UCLA. Farmar’s two year at UCLA were impressive, earning Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, but his early departure from campus prevented him from realizing his potential.

Two years removed from high school graduation, Farmar was selected by the Lakers in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft. During his sophomore year Farmar was on the fence on whether he would enter the draft, but a stellar NCAA Tournament and a terrific Final Four convinced him he was ready for the next level. The jury is out on Farmar, who is a shoot first point guard. At 6’2” he is undersized by NBA standards, and lacks the athleticism of a Smush Parker. His jump shot is improving, yet spotty, and his defense is sure to make Phil Jackson cringe.

The good news for Farmar and the Lakers is that he is not expected to come in and run the program, at least not immediately. Farmar will back-up Smush Parker and Sasha Vujacic and can be paired in the backcourt with Kobe. There’s no doubt Farmar has the goods to play in the NBA, but he’ll need to improve his defense and decision-making before he becomes a key component to Phil Jackson’s rotation.

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