Lakers News: Draft Insider Criticizes LA's Selection Of Jalen Hood-Schifino

Picking the former Hoosier wasn't met with universal praise.

Though many pundits and fans are excited that your Los Angeles Lakers selected Second Team All-Big Ten swingman Jalen Hood-Schifino with the No. 17 pick in Thursday night's draft, there's one draft expert who takes umbrage with the decision.

Jeremy Woo of ESPN, during a conversation with colleagues Kirk Goldsberry and Zach Lowe on a new episode of the latter's essential podcast The Lowe Post, singled out the Lakers specifically for potentially reaching with the pick.

"I always go back, and I don't really have picks to bash, and it's not like that's what I do, but... I guess, LA at 17, Hood-Schifino fell there, wasn't my favorite player," Woo allowed. "I don't know. There [were] a lot of players on the board."

"You had LA at 17, Miami at 18, Golden State [at] 19, those are three teams that are perennially trying to win," Woo continued. "And those are teams who are not afraid to just take their guy. I think you could look at the track record of all those teams. And Whitmore being there... ultimately you stick to the plan [of whom you were originally going to select], you're not going to go off-script at the last second for an 18-year-old who you don't know if he'll help you or not next year, and you don't know about the bill of health... but I am still a little surprised he got to 20 [before being picked by Houston]."

Hood-Schifino was a decorated prospect during his lone collegiate season, averaging 13.5 points on .417/.333/.776 shooting splits, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 dimes, and 0.8 steals a night during his 32 contests as a Hoosier, all starts. Ostensibly, he should be able to offer some extra bench floor spacing as a shooter off the catch for LA stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, though certainly that three-point percentage (on 3.5 tries per) has room for improvement.

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