How Good Can Jordan Farmar Be for the Los Angeles Lakers?

Jordan Farmar was full of hope when he returned full circle to the Los Angeles Lakers this season. Unfortunately, he has missed as many games as he has played—the victim of a pervasive injury bug that has touched virtually the entire team.

He has played well during his time on the floor, averaging 10.4 points and 4.7 assists per game off the bench, appearing in 36 of 72 games to date. He has also shot a lights-out 45.7 percent from behind the arc. Two hamstring tears and a strained right groin, however, have made it hard to find a sense of consistency.



How good could Farmar be for the Lakers? It’s an open-ended question—he hasn’t played since March 14, and there are just 10 games left on the schedule. Plus, his contractual future is up in the air.

Like most of his teammates, Farmar will soon be an unrestricted free agent. He’s hoping to return to the floor as early as this coming week, which would allow him at least a handful of games before this snakebitten season is over.

As Dave McMenamin from ESPN Los Angeles points out, Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni has been impressed with Farmar’s game, despite the injuries:

"The best thing he does, he can get a shot any time he wants it and he can shoot it. That's his best part of his game and the rest of it is coming on. I thought he defended well. He's smart and there's no reason why he's not a good guard in this league."

Besides getting his shot on the offensive end, Farmar’s also a willing defender, able to snake the ball from opposing guards and push it up the court in transition, either dishing off or using a hesitation move before accelerating to the hoop for one of his patented up-and-under layups.

A standout point guard at Taft High School and UCLA, the L.A. native was drafted by the Lakers in 2006 and spent four seasons in purple and gold, mostly coming off the bench and provi...

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