Los Angeles Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino is entering his second NBA season after being a relative non-factor in his rookie campaign. He wasn’t expected to be an immediate contributor, drafted as more of a project from the No. 17 slot in 2023, but the hope is that he can make a leap entering Year 2.
He showed some flashes in the Lakers’ preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. He looked smoother than he had in his entire rookie season at the NBA level, finishing with six points, four rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes.
One of the reasons for this improvement could be the time he has spent learning from veteran Gabe Vincent over the last year. The two have had plenty of time to work together with both not playing much at the NBA level last season, and Hood-Schifino credits Vincent as an important veteran for him.
“We pretty much have the same team so I feel like for me, I have asked multiple different guys for advice and they’ve been there. But I think for me, even last year, I think Gabe Vincent was someone that I connected with dating back to last summer during the offseason, we worked out a lot together and obviously being a point guard now in year six, he has a lot of games under him. So I would say probably Gabe Vincent.”
Vincent has been a part of many successful teams through his first five NBA seasons. He has been to the postseason in every year he’s played and was a full-time starter for the Miami Heat when they went to the NBA Finals in 2023. It’s that run that led to his contract with the Lakers that summer.
So while Vincent did not play much last season due to injury, there is no denying that he had plenty of expertise to give to Hood-Schifino during his rookie campaign, and it’s likely those lessons will continue in Year 2.
Jalen Hood-Schifino has stood out to Rui Hachimura
Now coming into his second season and fully recovered from back surgery, Jalen Hood-Schifino has a lot to prove and he is already turning heads as Rui Hachimura mentioned him as a young player who is standing out in Lakers training camp so far.
“Jalen. Jalen has been great,” Hachimura said after practice Thursday. “I can see he’s been putting a lot of work in his body. He got way stronger. I can see that he’s just more confident. I know he had surgery over the summer, but he overcame and I think he looks strong, healthy so yeah, I like him.”
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