The Las Vegas Summer League and California Classic allowed for the Los Angeles Lakers organization to evaluate the new batch of young talent they brought in with their draft picks and undrafted signings. At the forefront was the No. 17 pick Jalen Hood-Schifino, who was the Lakers’ highest draft pick in more than half a decade.
While Hood-Schifino showed upside, the undrafted prospects that Jesse and Joey Buss and the scouting department found are intriguing due to their strong performances over the summer. One of those guys was two-way guard D’Moi Hodge from Missouri, who showed his ability to be a 3-and-D guard, which is a valuable skill set to have in today’s game.
Hodge talked about his basketball journey and how he defied all odds and got a contract with the Lakers, revealing that he always wanted to land with L.A. if he didn’t get drafted, via South Bay Lakers:
“I’m from Tortola, British Virgin Islands. I played my first league at like 13 years old, but I didn’t start taking it seriously till I was 16-17 [years old]. That’s when I started like, ‘I want to move to America, I want to play high school basketball, I want to really excel.’ I always had a dream, everybody have that dream, but actually seeing it come into play, my later years in college. That’s when everything started to unfold and everything started to come together for me and that last season at Missouri, I solidified that I can really do this. I always had in the back of my mind, if I don’t get drafted, I’m going to the Lakers. That was my mindset heading into the draft. So, I didn’t feel no way about it and I was excited to be apart of one of the greatest franchises in the NBA, so it all worked out and turned out the way it was supposed to. I believe that everything happen for a reason, so there’s a reason I’m here and I’m happy to be here.”
Being the first British Virgin Islander in the league is an amazing accomplishment for Hodge and he continued to build off that with a strong summer. He also recently discussed what fans can expect from him moving forward:
“Fans can expect me to bring energy, be a pest on defense, make everybody’s job hard, knocking down shots, bringing energy and intensity everyday. Just showing up and doing what I can to help.”
As L.A. is heading towards its new iteration of the team with James out of the picture, two-way players like Hodge will most likely be given opportunities on the floor to see if it works out.
In terms of this season, Hodge may find himself mostly staying with the South Bay Lakers, but his development is something fans should keep an eye on.
Alex Fudge ‘ready to make a statement’ after signing two-way contract with Lakers
Another fellow two-way player with L.A. in Alex Fudge was recently signed after the organization cut ties with Cole Swider. Fudge, similar to Hodge, shared his story of getting to where he is today.
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