The Los Angeles Lakers lost another player to injury, this time, seldom-used rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino.
The Lakers announced on Thursday, March 21, that Hood-Schifino underwent a successful lumbar microdiscectomy back procedure. Shortly after the Lakers announcement, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported on X, formerly Twitter, that “the Lakers expect the 20-year-old guard to make a full recovery in the offseason.”
The 20-year-old guard was the Lakers’ first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. They selected him with the No. 17 pick ahead of the likes of Jaime Jaquez Jr., Brandin Podziemski and Cam Whitmore, who are playing well in their rookie season.
Hood-Schifino is not part of coach Darvin Ham’s regular rotation but the injury will stall his development.
The rookie out of Indiana has made great strides in the G League with the South Bay Lakers. In 15 games, Hood-Schifino averaged 22.0 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds with a 47/43/80 shooting split.
The 6-foot-5 guard has appeared in 22 games with the Lakers, averaging 1.6 points in 5.2 minutes as playing time has been scarce in a veteran-laden team.
Rob Pelinka Picked Jalen Hood-Schifino Over Cam Whitmore
Hood-Schifino was not the team’s original choice at No. 17, per Lakers Daily’s Anthony Irwin.
“According to sources, the consensus pick was Kobe Bufkin. When he was selected 15th by the Atlanta Hawks, the Lakers had to scramble. Sources say the scouting department preferred Whitmore once Bufkin was off the board, but Pelinka and others higher up in the organization were concerned about his medical history. Pelinka, having seen Hood-Schifino play well in the Big Ten Conference Tournament, saw something special and made the final decision,” Irwin reported on March 18.
A projected lottery pick, Whitmore slid to No. 20 amid reports of medical concerns and “some poor workouts and not great interviews,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 6-foot-8 Whitmore’s performance this season has allayed those concerns as he is proving to be a steal for the Houston Rockets.
Whitmore is averaging 12.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in 17.8 minutes for the Rockets.
Lakers’ Other Injuries
Cam Reddish, (ankle) will return on Friday, March 22, against the Philadelphia 76ers while Gabe Vincent (knee) and Jarred Vanderbilt (midfoot) are doing well in their recovery, Ham revealed to reporters after their March 20 practice.
“[Vincent]’s doing his individual process. It’s ongoing, but it’s ongoing in a really positive way. Same for Vando,” Ham told reporters on March 20. “Cam was able to participate today, and we look forward to seeing him play on [March 22].”
Vincent, who was limited to just five games after signing a $33 million, three-year contract with the Lakers in the offseason, is nearing his return, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
“Lakers G Gabe Vincent is nearing a return and intends to play again this season barring any setbacks, league sources tell @TheSteinLine. Vincent has played in just 5 games as a Laker and underwent arthroscopic surgery (left knee) in late December,” Stein reported on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday, March 19.
Meanwhile, the Lakers suffered a big blow after Christian Wood underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee that will sidelined him “for several weeks,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
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Lakers Lose Another Player to Season-Ending Surgery: Report