Lakers News: Expert Gives Lakers Solid Grade For Their First Round Pick

NBA draft analyst Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports heaped high praise on your Los Angeles Lakers for their decision to select former Indiana Hoosiers shooting guard/small forward Jalen Hood-Schifino with the No. 17 pick in the first round of last Thursday's draft.

"Hood-Schifino plays bigger than his 6-5 frame and was the most improved ball-handler in the pick-and-roll option this season," Peek writes. "Defensively, he keeps guards in front and can cut players off trying to turn the corner off the switch. Hood-Schifino participated in [now-Golden State Warriors point guard] Chris Paul's camp prior to his freshman season at Indiana and Paul praised Hood-Schifino's defense on the perimeter."

It's pretty exciting to hear that Hood-Schifino can function as a serviceable facilitator and a solid perimeter and point-of-attack defender. Whether those skills will translate at the next level during his rookie season is more of an open question, but the fact that he could evolve into being a solid role player is exciting.

LA team president Rob Pelinka now has accrued a pretty respectable track record of finding NBA-caliber talent in (or after) NBA drafts. In 2017, with Pelinka operating as the team's GM under president Magic Johnson, the team drafted point guard Lonzo Ball (a high-caliber 3-and-D starter until knee injuries derailed his career) and traded for the draft rights to forward Kyle Kuzma (a key rotation player on the 2020 title team). Pelinka also developed undrafted talents Alex Caruso (who had played for the Oklahoma City Thunder's G League team during his first pro season, but never for the Thunder themselves, before being waived) and Austin Reaves. LA also selected former Michigan center Moritz Wagner with the No. 25 pick in 2018, and though he never hit with LA, he's evolved into a competent bench big with the Orlando Magic.

All this is to say, we should trust Pelinka's process at this point. Here's hoping Peek is on-point with her assessment of Hood-Schifino's NBA upside.

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