Former IU basketball standout guard Jalen Hood-Schifino had a rocky start to his professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Injuries and inconsistent play saw him more of a regular off the court or in the G League, than with the Lakers regular roster.
He only appeared in 21 games for the Lakers, averaging just 1.6 points per game. Hood-Schifino spent 15 games down in the G League where he averaged 22.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. He shot 47.3 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from three.
He has spent most of this summer working his way back from a back injury that shut him down in March, however. The surgery was to repair a bulging disc in his back, a procedure the team called a “lumbar microdiscectomy.”
After missing the NBA Summer League this July, Hood-Schifino has been back on the court and earning some ‘positive’ reviews.
“Both Hood-Schifino and (Maxwell) Lewis, though, have earned positive reviews during this stage of the offseason,” Dan Woike of the LA Times wrote. “It’s especially encouraging for Hood-Schifino, a player mostly spoken about in the context of the three players picked behind him: Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. at No. 18, Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski at 19, and Houston’s Cam Whitmore at 20.
“Hood-Schifino didn’t come close to contributing last season, a knee injury slowing him at the start of the year and a back injury ending it early. Finding and creating pathways for success for young, improving players is critical for Redick as he and the Lakers try to thread the needle between maximizing LeBron James’ late prime while building for whatever is next.”
After being selected 17th overall last year, it’s now a fresh start for the former IU basketball star. With new coach JJ Redick, there will likely be more of an emphasis on player development, like Woike mentioned. Redick has been adamant about that in the early stages of his Lakers tenure.
Hood-Schifino was terrific during his lone season with IU basketball, averaging 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He was the first Indiana player to have multiple 30+ point games in his first year since Eric Gordon. His 35 points against Purdue were the second-most points by an Indiana freshman as well. It was also the first time in the last 25 years for a freshman to score at least 35 points in a road victory over an AP top-5 team.
The Big Ten Freshman of the Year will likely have another chance to emerge as a contributor early this season as the Lakers’ roster remains very similar and intact to what it was a season ago.
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