Los Angeles Lakers: Top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history

3. Elgin Baylor (SF) — No. 1 pick in 1958 NBA Draft

Career stats (as a Laker):  846 GP, 27.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 43.1 FG%, 78.0 FT%

Collectively, we don’t talk about Elgin Baylor enough. And that is absolutely ridiculous, seeing as how he was one of the most dominant forwards of all time.

Baylor was drafted by the Lakers first overall in 1958, and spent his entire 14-year career with the franchise. His three-season peak came between 1961 and 1963, when he averaged 35.3 points, 17.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.

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Yes, the player pool was (much) weaker back then. Sure, the pace of the game allowed for absurd statistical averages. I don’t care how you want to spin it, though, those numbers are downright stunning.

Bill Simmons, in his 701-page epic, The Book of Basketball, ranks Baylor as the No. 15 greatest player ever, and the third-best small forward in NBA history.

Sounds about right. After all, the Seattle University legend made 11 All-Star rosters throughout his career, and was an All-NBA First Teamer 10 times. And though he was never able to capture a championship (damn you, Bill Russell!), that was through no fault of his own.

The closest he came was in 1962, when the Lakers actually held a 3-2 series lead in the NBA Finals against the Celtics. Unfortunately, Los Angeles would lose Game 6 at home, and the subsequent matchup at The Garden, ultimately dropping the series in seven.

In the crushing defeat, Baylor averaged 40.6 points, 17.9 boards and 3.7 dimes. Oh, and he dropped a Finals-record 61 points in Game 5 — a mark that will likely never be broken. Safe to say, the eventual Hall-of-Famer did his part and then some.