Former All-Star Los Angeles Lakers point guard Nick Van Exel, now an assistant coach under Quin Snyder for the Atlanta Hawks, recently reflected on his own playing career and some of his starrier teammates in an extended chat with Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson of Bally Sports.
When asked about All-Star shooting guard teammate Eddie Jones, part of the 1990s "Lake Show" core even before Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant joined the fun, Van Exel was effusive in his praise. Per the 6'1" University of Cincinatti product, Jones could have reached taller heights in terms of league accolades were he active in today's game as a player.
Here's the quote in full:
"Eddie would probably be one of the best two-way players in the league!" Van Exel told Robinson. "He probably would’ve won a Defensive Player of the Year award. Probably average about 25-30 just for the simple fact that nowadays shooting the 3 is what’s allowed."
"So if you take two 3s in a row and you miss two, everybody’s looking at you like you’re crazy — that’s the era we played in. Nowadays, you can shoot 10-15 3s and nobody gives a damn," Van Exel continued. "Oh yeah, he’d be special in this league."
LA selected the 6'6" Jones, cousin to current Indiana Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, with the tenth pick out of Temple during the 1994 NBA draft. A premier perimeter menace, he went on to make three All-Star squads (twice with LA), three All-Defensive Teams, and the 1999-2000 All-NBA Third Team while with the Charlotte Hornets. Jones also led the league in steals (2.7 per game) during his lone Charlotte season.
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