When the Los Angeles Lakers took Indiana University guard Jalen Hood-Schifino with the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, there was plenty of intrigue. While some fans wanted the team to take someone else, such as Cam Whitmore or Jaime Jaquez Jr., Hood-Schifino seemed to be a fine prospect in his own right.
In his lone season in the NCAA, he showed an ability to create his own shot from the mid-range area, hit the open man, handle the ball and be a decent defender.
But in spot duty with the Lakers this season, he has looked like a zero-impact player, and he has had lots of trouble merely putting the basketball in the hoop.
There has been a feeling that he would be better off spending most of his time in the G League so he could develop and gain some confidence. Well, in 10 games with the South Bay Lakers through Sunday, he averaged 20.1 points and 6.0 assists a game while hitting 41.3% of his 3-point attempts.
On Thursday, Hood-Schifino had a monster 38-point effort in a 131-126 loss to the Austin Spurs.
Jalen Hood-Schifino 🤝 Bryce Hamilton
The two put up numbers hitting the 3️⃣0️⃣+ point club today during the @SouthBayLakers road game against the Spurs! pic.twitter.com/G1mupeAI4o
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 29, 2024
Perhaps Hood-Schifino simply needs a little more seasoning and time to develop than Whitmore or Jaquez, both of whom have been producing efficiently for the Houston Rockets and Miami Heat, respectively.
