David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Indiana's Jalen Hood-Schifino Has Combo Guard Skills & Versatility to Interest Raptors at No. 13
Jalen Hood-Schifino is almost a basketball dinosaur.
In a way, he’s not too dissimilar from former Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan. No, the 6-foot-6 Indiana product isn’t nearly as refined nor explosive as the six-time All-Star, but Hood-Schifino has that same mentality as the Raptors great. He’s not focused on nailing three-pointers like so many others these days. Instead, Hood-Schifino prowls the mid-range, wiggling his way into the heart of the defense and using his old-school jumper to beat sagging defenses.
Maybe that’s why Hood-Schifino should be available when Toronto’s pick rolls around at No. 13 during next month’s NBA Draft. Had he been a better three-point shooter, there’s little doubt he’d be a lottery pick.
Is it a concern?
No. Not really.
“I think his technique is good. His mechanics are good,” Hoosiers reporter Tom Brew said. “I think he’s got the tools to be a decent three-point shooter in the game, and, like I said, mid-30s, 33% is not bad, but I think he can be better too, and he knows it.”
Even without a reliable three-point stroke, Hood-Schifino can impact the game in a variety of ways. He averaged 13.5 points, connected on 45% of his two-pointers, with 3.7 assists, 2.8 turnovers, and 4.1 rebounds per game while being asked to do almost everything for the Hoosiers offense.
Coming into the year, Hood-Schifino expected to be the shooting guard alongside senior point guard Xavier Johnson for Indiana. Had that gone as planned, the offense would have come a lot easier to the 19-year-old freshman. But seven games into Indiana’s season, Johnson went down with an injury and suddenly Hood-Schifino was thrust into the point guard spot with little depth to support him.
“He handled it really well,” Brew said. “He’s a real confident kid, always has been, and he’s got a lot of belief in himself and had some huge games.”
None bigger than his 35-point breakout performance against Indiana’s biggest rival Purdue. Hood-Schifino was “literally unstoppable” that night, Brew said. He went right at Purdue’s 7-foot-4 Canadian center, Zach Edey, attacking college basketball’s best inside defender with the pick-and-roll and using his pull-up game to loft floaters over the retreating Edey.
"I live for those moments," Hood-Schifino told reporters following the game in West Lafayette. "I love playing in big games,"
There are, however, some questions about Hood-Schifino’s defense. At 216 pounds with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, he’s big enough to defend most guards and wings at the NBA level and his quick hands should make him a pesky defender but he’s going to need some coaching.
“I would give him probably a B+ this year,” Brew said of Hood-Schifino’s defense. “I think he struggled a bit sometimes to adapt to screen-and-rolls in regards to finding the right place to be.”
Then there’s his speed which may be problematic if Hood-Schifino does project as more of a point guard in the NBA. His size will play to his advantage, but he can get beat on the perimeter.
“I think anybody who drafts him has to be prepared for a little bit of a learning curve there,” Brew added. “I wouldn't call him that lightning-quick point guard but he's certainly very athletic.”
For Toronto, Hood-Schifino’s fit may be clunky if he doesn’t develop that outside shot. The Raptors are so bereft of shooting right now that adding a questionable shooter to their backcourt may only exacerbate Toronto’s offensive woes.
But for a team that needs backcourt talent and is always looking for versatility, Hood-Schifino makes sense. He can play alongside Fred VanVleet as another combo guard and has shown he can navigate the pick-and-roll, working with bigs like Jakob Poeltl to attack the middle of opposing defenses.
“If the Raptors wind up taking him, they’ll really like him as a kid,” Brew said. “He’s got a winner's attitude, man. He hates to lose.”
Further Reading
Raptors may face high-risk, high-reward decision If Nick Smith Jr is available at No. 13
Report: Raptors have met with Steve Nash about head coaching vacancy
Easy to see why Raptors have spoken to Arkansas' Anthony Black
