When your nicknames are “Mr. Clutch” and “The Logo” it’s pretty difficult to argue you might ever be considered underrated. Jerry West certainly is not that, but as time passes and the game evolves it is sometimes easy to forget just how good some of the players from previous generations were, West included.
Luckily, youtube exists and we are able to look back and see the ride range of skill and ability some of these players had. Special hat-tip to the Wilt Chamberlain Archive channel on youtube for always bringing the heat, including this career tribute to the long time Laker:
Comparing players from the 60’s and 70’s to players today will always be tricky simply due to how the skills from that era stand up aesthetically to how the players play today. How the guys back then handled the ball, the sophistication of some of their moves, and what can seem like less fluidity in their movement can lead to some people question how good some of these guys really were.
But when you watch the clip above, while some of that might apply to West, what really stands out to me was the complete game he had and how so much of what he was doing back then is found in today’s game.
The one dribble left/right and pull up jumper is a staple of today’s best shooters. The way he rubs off picks or uses a tight handle to get into the creases and finish with a variety of shot types are all things you find from similarly sized players today. The way he jumps into passing lanes, causes deflections, and makes secondary reads to get steals and blocks are all staples of the game’s best defenders.
In other words, let this be your reminder that Jerry West, for any era, was a monster on the court.
Todd says
I’m older, so I saw West play. He was a truly great player and is my favorite Laker. Oh, how I wish he was still part of the Lakers organization.
Brian P. says
What a great off the dribble pull up he has…wow. That is not easy at all, but he makes it look that way.
Craig W. says
When the Lakers drafted Jerry West is when I started my Laker fandom. Until 1965, when Baylor suffered his knee injury, they were the most lethal combination in the NBA – bar none. You could argue Wilt or Oscar, but no pair was more deadly on the court. The year they both averaged 30ppg still stands as a monument to how great they were – and how pitiful their teammates appeared to be.
LKK says
@Todd….I also saw Jerry play many times. He was a superb all around player. Great at every phase of the game, he had every aspect of guard play honed to a fine edge. In addition, he was a tenacious defensive player. His game would fare well in any era of basketball.
Todd says
Speaking of the Lakers backcourt. Current article by Amin Elhassan, of ESPN. The ratings are as follows:
Rookie Readiness
RATING ROLE
90+ Superstar
80-89 All-Star
70-79 High-level starter
60-69 Rotation starter
50-59 Rotation bench
40-49 Fringe rotation
< 40 ICE (In case of emergency)
_____
D'Angelo Russell
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Readiness: 49.5
Ceiling: 82.0
Of all the high-profile picks in Vegas, Russell probably was the least impressive. He looked tentative for much of summer league play, and when he was aggressive, he wasn't particularly efficient. The questions about his lack of quickness seemed to grow louder with every performance, and he racked up 24 turnovers in his first three games.
The bad news: it gets no easier in the big leagues, and he'll be forced to make decisions in a fraction of the time he was allotted in Vegas, let alone at Ohio State. The good news: he's a smart enough kid who should figure it out eventually. Skill players who are quickness-deficient have a way of making the game slow down into pockets that allow them to take advantage of their mental sharpness, and I think Russell will benefit greatly from a rough-and-tumble rookie season.
Craig W. says
Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, and Andre Miller seem to have survived with a lessor amount of athleticism. B-ball IQ, plus ability to improvise and learn are more important to a pass-first PG.
Here’s to Russell fitting into that category.
Mid-Wilshire says
Todd,
My only caveat re: D’Angelo Russell’s summer performance is that Summer League, for some reason, is rarely a good predictor of success in the big leagues. Josh Selby, for example, was a monster one year in the Summer League. He looked like the 2nd coming of Michael Jordan. But now he’s not even in the NBA. Stephen Curry, on the other hand, struggled mightily in SL, shooting 38%. There were grave doubts about him at the time. But now look at him. I suggest that we suspend judgement until the season actually begins. Summer League is a weird animal. It’s just not a good way to evaluate talent.
Regarding Jerry West — Wow. I, too, remember him playing. I grew up in Arizona and, for some reason, we only got to see the Celtics (whom I despised even then) and the Knicks on TV. I thought that Walt Frazier was clearly the best player on the planet.
Then one year, the Knicks faced the Lakers in the finals and I saw Jerry West for the first time. I was blown away. He was clearly the best player on the court. He would routinely have games of 36 points and 17 assists. He was so smooth and elegant. And his shot was deadly. It was around that time that I became a Lakers fan.
Reportedly, though, Jerry was almost neurotically self-critical. He was almost never satisfied with his own performances. But he is clearly one of the 10 best ever to play the game. Now…I wonder if Jordan Clarkson watches his tapes?
rr says
The Knicks are bringing Sasha Vujacic to camp (one year non-guaranteed deal).
I presume that Phil will still call him “Aleksandar.”
Breaker9 says
Good job Phil! Sasha deserves a look! He always gave it his all, especially guarding his man one on one!
Robert says
Given the results in the NBA his year, shouldn’t the title be:
“Jerry West IS a monster”
smokedaddy says
I still say Jerry ranks with Michael & Kobe as the best 3 ever at their off guard position. West wasn’t quite the jumper as those two but was plenty fast . Listed at 6’3″ his long arms probably made him effectively 6’5″. But his skills were magnificent. He was better than Michael as a shooter and was comparable to Kobe. Defensively he was at least their equal. I’m glad they showed that sequence of defensive plays where he used those long arms. He was hard nosed too. Never backed down. I think I was 5 years old when he averaged over 30 per gamd when Elgin went down. They didn’t really show his passing skills here, but but he definitely possesed them. They don’t really show it in this clip but I recall him consistently hitting from near or at our 3 pt range as well. No doubt he’d have been even more killer had that been the rule.
Actually, with his long arms, sweet stroke, tremendous court vision, leadership ability, and reliance on smarts over explosiveness to get to the hoop, D’Angelo looks to me to have more than a little Jerry West in him. Just sayin.
Chris J says
Watching West get great looks over and over — it’s hard to even say what “it” was he had. But he had “it.”
He’s not out-quicking many guys and wasn’t out leaping them, either. But damn if he didn’t get his shots off. Very impressive video compilation.
Andrew L says
One of the best things about that clip was hearing Chickie Baby’s voice again.
J C says
I grew up watching Mr. Clutch.
My all-time favorite.
I was listening on the radio when he hit the 63-foot shot against the Knicks to send the game into overtime.
My son’s middle name is West.
As Mid-Wilshire put it, ‘Smooth and Elegant.’
To me, it’s Michael #1 and Jerry #2 at SG.
He had the same obsessive work ethic as MJ and KB, played both ends of the floor with equal skill, and was the only guy to ever win the MVP of the Finals from the losing team!
He was truly respected by all players, coaches, and media. And he never once showboated or gloated after making the game-winner or a big play.
I already shared my story here once on FBG about meeting him. He was unpretentious, conversational and gracious.
He wasn’t the Logo for nothing.
Ryan says
For my money he’s the best white player ever. Also, everyone loves to talk about our proud tradition of great centers (rightfully so) but we have had quite the parade of amazing 2 guards over the years. Eddie Jones was my personal second favorite after Kobe, mostly because I watched those nick & Eddie teams as a small child.
Giz says
It’s hard to find guards that can play offense and defense every day. MJ Kobe and West are the few exceptions. These three also are exciting to watch which are hard to find. Now that Kobe is at his near end, the “wheel of fortune” will start all over again. You have stars and superstars but few hall of famers. Salute to these three. Does anyone have an idea who can follow these footsteps? Include at least five to ten all star years in their overall performance.