90s LA All-Star Believes Teammate Would Have Been DPOY Today

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."