The NBA Summer League slate kicked off July 3 and former Indiana men’s basketball’s Jalen Hood-Schifino, the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has started all three games with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Hood-Schifino debuted on Monday, July 3, against the Miami Heat in game one of the west coast tournament California Classic in Sacramento. Hood-Schifino logged 29 minutes – the second-most on the team – in Los Angeles’ 107-90 loss.
[Related: Indiana men’s basketball’s Jalen Hood-Schifino, Trayce Jackson-Davis selected in NBA Draft]
Hood-Schifino scored 15 points, dished out four assists and grabbed five boards. He struggled with 3-point shooting, going 0-5 from beyond the arc. While only shooting 32% from the field, Hood-Schifino found a groove in his second game.
On Wednesday, July 5, in a 109-99 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Hood-Schifino improved his efficiency and output, scoring 20 points shooting 8-for-17 from the field. He added four assists, three boards and displayed the craftiness around the rim that warranted his first-round selection.
Former Indiana star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis didn’t suit up for Friday night’s matchup against Hood-Schifino and the Lakers in Las Vegas. Jackson-Davis was sidelined for the Golden State Warriors’ two California Classic games with a hamstring issue.
[Related: Former Indiana men’s basketball’s Trayce Jackson-Davis agrees to deal with Warriors]
In the Lakers’ 103-96 win Friday night, Hood-Schifino scored nine points and tallied five rebounds, three assists and four steals. He played 29 minutes and shot 3-for-11 from the field but continued to impress on the defensive end.
The Lakers now turn to a matchup against the Charlotte Hornets at 4 p.m. on Sunday. As for Jackson-Davis, his availability is yet to be determined for the Warriors’ Sunday night clash with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Former Indiana forward Race Thompson, who signed an NBA Summer League deal with the New York Knicks, had a sore right knee and couldn’t travel with the team to Las Vegas, the Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak reported. The severity of Thompson’s injury is currently unknown.
