Lakers Lose Young Player To Season-Ending Surgery

The Los Angeles Lakers will finish the 2023-24 NFL season with a bunch of injured players on their injury report. According to latest reports, rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino will miss the remainder of the season as he is set to undergo a surgery.

The Lakers made an official announcement on March 21. Hood-Schifino had to undergo a lumber microdiscectomy back procedure. It sounds scary, but he is expected to recover on time for the next season.

The Lakers used their No.17 overall pick to get Hood-Schifino in first-round pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. Rob Pelinka and other members of the front office preferred getting the young guard over Jaime Jaquez Jr., Brandin Podziemski, and Cam Whitmore. These three may have been better options for the Lakers as they have great debut seasons with their respective teams.

Lakers could see more from the talented rookie once he recovers from his surgery

Hood-Schifino didn’t really get a chance to make an impact with the Lakers. He didn’t become a key player for the team overnight. Sadly, his injury will definitely have a huge impact on his role with the Lakers.

The Lakers liked the prospect of Hood-Schifino. He was great with the South Bay Lakers in the G League. In 15 games with the team, the talent guard delivered 22.0 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds. Head coach Darvin Ham would have included him at the rotation at some point, but he will have to wait for this to happen.

It’s interesting to note that the Lakers had other plans for their first-round pick. According to Anthony Irwin from Lakers Daily, the Lakers wanted Kobe Bufkin. The Atlanta Hawks snatched him at No.15 and the Lakers considered getting Cam Whitmore. However, the Lakers were worried about his medical history. Hood-Schifino was a better option at that point. Let’s see if he develops his full potential with the Lakers.

In 22 games with the Lakers, Hood-Schifino averages 1.6 points in 5.2 minutes with the Lakers.