Reporter thinks Lakers potentially found their 'point guard of the future'
If Los Angeles Lakers fans are searching for a hype train on which to jump heading into the offseason, it seems the 2023 NBA Draft provided an option worth considering. While the Lakers were involved in numerous rumblings about potentially trading the No. 17 overall pick on Thursday night, Rob Pelinka and company instead opted to sit tight. It appears they're very happy with how the draft played out.
The Lakers selected Indiana Hoosiers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, a selection which drew high praise, but from none more than Forbes' Evan Sidery. The NBA reporter raved about Hood-Schifino's talent on both ends of the floor while going as far as stating the belief that the Lakers may have "found their point guard of the future at No. 17."
While the statement was noteworthy for numerous reasons, comments from many others only added some fuel to the fire surrounding the rookie's hype. Specifically, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka had unbelievable praise for the 20-year-old guard as well.
As The Athletic's Jovan Buha revealed, Pelinka called the former Hoosier a "lottery-level talent" who has "Lakers DNA." He also offered a unique perspective on the idea of Hood-Schifino and Austin Reaves playing in the backcourt together, citing their abilities to operate both on and off the ball.
“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.”
It's an interesting point and the 6-foot-6 guard showcased a bit of everything during his lone season in college, averaging 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and nearly one steal per game. While he shot just 33.3 percent from three-point range, if he is able to improve that slightly at the NBA level, he could be a surprise option to emerge and make an impact very early on.
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