The Los Angeles Lakers had a rare first-round draft pick this past summer and there was some uncertainty surrounding the No. 17 pick. It was rumored that L.A. was likely to move off the pick to acquire more depth pieces to further solidify a roster coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance.
Despite all the speculation, the Lakers ultimately kept the pick and selected Indiana guard Jalen Hood-Schifino. There were some mixed reactions from the fanbase due to a protected top-10 pick falling in Villanova’s Cam Whitmore, but it has become hard to question the Lakers’ draft selections with the recent success they’ve been having.
Hood-Schifino averaged 13.5 points, 3.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds on 41.7% from the field and 33.3% from 3 in his lone season at Indiana. The 6’6″ guard is a shifty ball-handler who can create for himself but needs to work on his 3-point shot coming to the NBA level.
With some highs and lows throughout his time in Summer League, Hood-Schifino got a sample size of what it was like playing in the league. Now with training camp on the horizon and his rookie campaign is about to start, he shared thoughts on what his offseason has been like since being drafted, via Jovan Buha of The Athletic:
“I mean, honestly, it’s been pretty good. I think just because I’m able to be in the gym right now and finally lock in on the main thing. Obviously, going through the pre-draft process and doing different things, you have a lot of things coming at you business-wise, basketball-wise. So, I think now it’s just about getting better every single day and trying to see improvements.”
L.A. is looking to win its 18th championship, which may make it hard for Hood-Schifino to get minutes. But he is still preparing and making sure he is ready if the moment arises by putting together a daily routine:
“Get in there, get my treatment, get in the weight room, hit the court, get my daily vitamins in. Now, we’re starting to have pretty much everyone in there. So, now we’ve been able to compete 3-on-3, 4-on-4, 5-on-5. So, yeah, it’s been great.”
Being born in Pittsburgh and now coming to Los Angeles is a total change of pace for the rookie, but so far has enjoyed his time and connecting with the community:
“And how does embracing the community with events like this help acclimate you? Yeah, so far it’s been good. Great vibes. Obviously, I’ve been in the gym working out. But I think just being able to do things like this, connect with the community and do different things like this is something that I’m big on. I’ve always been a guy that loves to give back. I love the community. So, for me to be able to do it this early, I think he’s only gonna get better. I’m gonna be able to do this more and more.
The 20-year-old is coming into a historic environment where he will be able to learn from one of the greatest to touch a basketball in LeBron James and his co-star Anthony Davis. It’ll be good for the guard to have and learn from fellow veterans on the team and pick up on the nuances of the game.
It is hard to say whether Hood-Schifino will be in the rotation as he is someone who needs time to develop and does not have to be thrown into the fire right away. But regardless, it’ll be intriguing to see how he will pan out for the Lakers for years to come.
NBA Board of Governors approve new rules preventing teams from resting two ‘stars’ in same game
Load management and resting star players have plagued the game for years now, hurting the value of the regular season. However, it seems that the . Time will tell if this solution will fix the problem, but doesn’t hurt to try.
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