In the 2023 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers took point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino out of Indiana with the 17th overall pick.
The franchise made it clear that he was more of a developmental prospect who wouldn’t contribute right away, but still the team came under fire as players selected immediately after him such as Brandin Podziemski, Cam Whitmore and Jamie Jaquez were making an impact in their first season.
Hood-Schifino spent a lot of his rookie year in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, but unfortunately his season ended on a down note as he needed to get back surgery in March. He would spend much of the summer recovering, which he says was the most important part of his offseason.
“I think overall for me having back surgery March 21st, I think the main goal was just to get healthy and get my back feeling good,” Hood-Schifino said at Lakers Media Day. “It was a great offseason, long offseason. But I’m feeling healthy now and obviously being in the gym with Coach JJ and the rest of the staff has been great. They built a culture here, especially for us young guys getting in and grinding so this summer was really good for me and the other young guys.”
Hood-Schifino would also open up about what exactly the issue was, but noted that he is ready to go with training camp here now.
“I just had some back pain involving something in my disk and it had struck a nerve in my right leg,” the Lakers guard added. “Being young, getting that surgery, it wasn’t a crazy surgery, it was a minor surgery. The recovery time was good and I’m feeling great now and healthy and ready to go.”
Head coach JJ Redick has spoken about the development of Hood-Schifino and being excited about what he is capable of. Hood-Schifino taking a leap in his second season would be huge for the Lakers and he certainly has the tools and work ethic to do just that.
He quietly played extremely well in the G League last season, averaging 22 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists while shooting 47.3% from the field and 43.2% from 3-point range on more than five attempts. The talent is there and now that he is healthy, Hood-Schifino has the chance to show why the Lakers drafted him.
Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino earned ‘positive reviews’ during offseason workouts
Jalen Hood-Schifino has been hard at work all summer long to get better and that was noticeable to the Lakers coaching staff.
The point guard received ‘positive reviews’ for his offseason workouts, which is a great sign for the Lakers. Obviously the team is looking to compete right now with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster, but new coach JJ Redick has emphasized how important developing young players is and Hood-Schifino is arguably at the top of that list.
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