The Los Angeles Lakers have added Indiana guard Jalen Hood-Schifino to the mix after electing to keep the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Rob Pelinka called it an easy decision, having Hood-Schifino graded out as a lottery-level talent.
Hood-Schifino joins a Lakers backcourt that is currently in flux due to impending free agents but is likely to include Austin Reaves. The second-year guard broke out in the latter half of the season and cemented himself as a cornerstone piece for L.A. moving forward, but is currently a restricted free agent.
It is nearly a guarantee that Reaves will be a Laker next season, meaning he’ll likely get some minutes alongside Hood-Schifino. Prior to the season, though, Pelinka is using Reaves as a template for the kind of improvement they want to see from Hood-Schifino, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic:
“We saw, again, just as a point of comparison, with a player like Austin Reaves, when we drafted him, he wasn’t a knockdown shooter. But he is now,” Pelinka said. “It’s because he put in work — and work with our staff. And I know that’s something Jalen is committed to too.”
Of course, using Reaves as a template could lead to success for the Indiana guard. But even more important is the potential pairing of the two players. Pelinka, in particular, is excited about what the two can do alongside one another.
“You think about the opportunity to pair two young guards together like Austin Reaves and Jalen Hood-Schifino,” Pelinka said. “People would say, ‘Is Austin a point guard? A 2-guard?’ Well, he’s an on-the-ball guard. He can make plays with the ball in his hand. And I would say the same thing about Jalen Hood-Schifino.”
Hood-Schifino, like Reaves, is a high IQ on-ball guard. Next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, these two are both capable of making high-level reads and improving the flow of a Lakers offense that had a tendency to struggle with movement last season, even after the trade deadline.
But Pelinka seems to know exactly what he wants out of the Reaves and Hood-Schifino pairing, an exciting prospect for Lakers fans who want to see a highly-touted rookie for the first time in a very long time.
Lakers reportedly considered Whitmore
Prior to the Lakers selecting Hood-Schifino, they reportedly had conversations about taking the sliding Cam Whitmore at No. 17. Whitmore was at one point projected to be a top five pick, but fell all the way to No. 20 after reports of an injury and difficulties at team workouts.
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