One player who has not played any minutes with the Los Angeles Lakers so far is Jalen Hood-Schifino, the point guard they selected in the first round of last year’s draft. He has been practicing with the South Bay Lakers as they prepare for their sold-out G League season opener on Saturday night.
Despite not playing with the Lakers yet, Hood-Schifino has recently been in the news because the team decided not to pick up his third-year option for next season. This decision suggests that the Lakers may feel they missed on this draft pick.
Hood-Schifino was the youngest player in the 2023 draft class and is considered more of a project player. However, after seeing immediate impact players like Jaime Jaquez and Brandin Podziemski get picked right after him, many fans are eager to see more from Hood-Schifino.
However, Hood-Schifino is handling the Lakers’ decision with a positive attitude and still believes he has a chance to prove himself in the league.
“It happened, so for me, I just got to continue to get better,” Hood-Schifino said at the South Bay Lakers Media Day. “It’s still an opportunity to get better, learn. Playing in the G League, big team or not, opportunities will be there so at the end of the day for me I just got to continue to take it day-by-day and take advantage of anything that comes my way.”
This is a strong mindset, and in fairness to Hood-Schifino, he did show promise in the G League last season. Although it didn’t get much attention, he averaged 22 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 15 games with the South Bay Lakers. He shot 47.3% from the field and 43.2% from three-point range.
Hood-Schifino has the tools to succeed, and he is determined to keep working hard and playing with a chip on his shoulder.
“The chip’s always there, regardless if people write me off or not,” Hood-Schifino added. “At the end of the day as a competitor and for myself, I know I got to play better. At the end of the day it’s a journey and this is my walk, this is reality. It’s gonna be ups and downs, but my mantra is ‘failure is no option’ so I’m gonna just continue to work, get better and move forward each and every day.”
The Lakers reportedly chose to decline Hood-Schifino’s third-year option to maintain flexibility for next offseason. However, JJ Redick has insisted that the team still believes in him. If Hood-Schifino can show improvement and impress with the South Bay Lakers, he may get a chance to join the main roster.
Even if that opportunity doesn’t come with the Lakers, the G League provides a chance to showcase his skills to other teams in the league. Reports have mentioned that teams like the Atlanta Hawks and Utah Jazz have shown interest in trading for Hood-Schifino. If the right offer comes in, the Lakers could decide to trade him and receive assets in return.
