2023 NBA Draft Team Recap: Los Angeles Lakers
For an organization that didn’t add any, or lose, any major components of their team it seems like it was a very eventful offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers.
They were first able to re-sign D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. Reaves' contract being an absolute steal for Rob Pelinka due to restricted free agency and other organizations willing to tie up their money knowing the Lakers would just match.
Gabe Vincent was the prime free agent signing but Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes were also brought in to play rotation minutes or fill out the roster.
With the returns of Russell and Reaves, and the addition of Vincent - you could also throw in second year player, Max Christie - the backcourt had its core pieces but that did not stop the Lakers from adding to it in the 2023 NBA Draft. Using the No. 17 overall pick they selected the combo guard out of Indiana, Jalen Hood-Schifino.
Hood-Schifino had a sporadic freshman season for the Hoosiers with some rough outings and inefficiencies along with some absolute standout games that included a 35-point performance against Purdue and their drop coverage.
At 6-foot-6 he has the size to play off the ball but will have to improve his off the ball shot making.
The Montverde Academy product is very comfortable playing on the ball, operating in ball screens, in the mid range and possesses some of the best start/stop pace of play in this rookie class.
While Hood-Schifino may not be in the running for best rookie perimeter defenders, he is not a negative on that end of the floor. He has the aforementioned size which allows him to provide some versatility and does a very nice job showcasing and understanding of the scouting report and overall scheme.
Should Christie not make a jump from his first to second year, the Lakers' 2023 first-round pick may have the inside track at being the fourth guard for this team during the regular season.
With the tenth pick in the second round, the Lakers went with an upside swing on the wing. Max Lewis is a sophomore out of Pepperdine - a team that terribly underperformed this season - that can really score the ball and is a blank slate on the defensive end, though he does possess many of the necessary physical attributes. He averaged over 17 points per game this past season on shooting splits of 47-35-79.
Unfortunately, his seven overall games of summer league left much to be desired. Lewis averaged just 4.9 points per game on 33-14-75 shooting splits. Many knew the skinny 6-foot-7 Las Vegas native was raw and would take some time to develop. It would be surprising to see him play into the Lakers rotation this season but a year with the South Bay Lakers may prepare him for that opportunity a year from now.
With Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes currently being the only true centers on the Lakers roster, it is also meaningful to mention UDFA and two-way player, Colin Castleton. He's a 6-foot-11 skilled big man out of Florida that may not wow you with athleticism and vertical pop but is highly productive on both ends of the court.
Being 23 years old and coming off of a late season injury hurt his draft stock, but could actually turn out to be a positive when it comes to contributing immediately for a team who may offer playing time at the center position.
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