Jalen Hood-Schifino 2023 NBA Draft Scouting Report
- Height/Weight/Age: 6’5″/215 lbs/20 years old
- Primary Position: Combo Guard
- Freshman Season Stats: 13.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.7 APG, 41.7% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 77.6% FT, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 2.8 TOPG
Strengths: Midrange Game, Defensive Upside, Ball-Handling
Jalen Hood-Schifino is a smooth operator in the midrange with a nice pull-up jumper. He averaged 13.5 points per game in the zone 15-18 feet from the basket. He’s fairly skilled when it comes to freezing defenders with his eyes or hesitation dribbles and finding the space to rise up for a midrange two or a floater. JHS doesn’t project to be a primary offensive option, but he will add a nice dynamic to any offense with his midrange game.
Jalen Hood-Schifino is an extremely talented shot-maker from the mid-range.
— Global Scouting (@GlobalScouting_) June 7, 2023
He has a really nice and smooth pull-up jumper. The guide hand is perfect, love the upper base, and he does a great job at squaring up to the rim. Can really catch fire. pic.twitter.com/mfg2QzeXVR
Hood-Schifino has the physical tools and defensive IQ to be a versatile, impactful defender in the NBA. He knows his role and seems to understand rotations. JHS doesn’t shy away from tough assignments and has the lateral quickness to stay in front of most guards. At his best, the Indiana product can be a defensive playmaker with his active hands and general toughness. His defensive ceiling is reliably guarding three positions in the NBA.
While he may not have the handle to be a pure point guard, JHS has a respectable handle for a combo guard. He demonstrates appropriate pacing, having enough control to let plays come to him. His patient playmaking serves to compensate for his lack of explosiveness. Hood-Schifino is especially useful as a pick-and-roll ball-handler who manipulates defenses and finds the right pass. Again, he’s not quite a lead guard, but he displays a lot of the skills and instincts needed to be serviceable as a playmaker.
Weaknesses: Inconsistency, Rim Pressure, Three-Point Shooting
Jalen Hood-Schifino’s biggest issue is easily his inconsistency. He had some games where he looked like a true facilitator and midrange assassin, but would then completely disappear or be an outright negative his very next game. His freshman season at Indiana was a roller coaster where he struggled to string together good performances. I believe his inconsistency is partially due to his steady diet of midrange shots and long twos. His shot selection isn’t quite diverse enough. Sometimes his disappearing act extends to the defensive end as well.
Another weakness in Hood-Schifino’s game is that he doesn’t generate very much rim pressure. He isn’t a transition threat and frequently settles for contested midrange shots or floaters. When he did get to the rim, he struggled to convert and missed a lot of layups. The lack of rim pressure caps his ability to truly be a lead ball-handler. He’s good when playing at his own pace, but can be turnover prone when defenders force the issue.
My biggest concern for Jalen Hood-Schifino is the lack of rim pressure and some finishing concerns. Not an explosive guard and doesn’t have a high vertical pop (one dunk in the half-court. He shot below 45% on all layup attempts in the half-court. pic.twitter.com/cMyQZbfAnK
— Global Scouting (@GlobalScouting_) June 7, 2023
Finally, Jalen Hood-Schifino has never been a very good three-point shooter. He shot 23.5% in high school and 33.3% as a freshman at Indiana. There were moments where he flashed some shotmaking off the dribble, but his midrange touch doesn’t quite extend out beyond the arc. Sometimes his form looks completely different on threes. I think he can develop into a league-average three-point shooter, but that’s still very much a work in progress.
Best NBA Fit: Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets
The Los Angeles Lakers (No. 17 pick) have a need for ball-handlers and pull-up shooting, making JHS a good fit to plug those holes. The Miami Heat (No. 18 pick) could use more ball-handling, as could the Brooklyn Nets (No. 21 pick, No. 22 pick). Jalen Hood-Schifino would benefit from landing somewhere where he can be a secondary playmaker while he rounds out his offensive game.
NBA Comparison: Malcolm Brogdon Minus Three-Point Shooting, Spencer Dinwiddie
As a midrange operator with defensive chops, Jalen Hood-Schifino has some things in common with Malcolm Brogdon. The biggest difference is that I don’t think JHS will ever get to Brogdon’s level of three-point marksmanship. Being a playmaking combo guard, he’s got a little bit of Spencer Dinwiddie to his game as well.
Draft Projection: Mid-First Round
Jalen Hood-Schifino is a true combo guard, lacking the tight handle and attack mindset to be a true point guard while also lacking the perimeter shot to be a true shooting guard. He’s got enough in his game to fill in at either guard spot and will ideally develop into a more dynamic player. His positional size and flashes of two-way ability are intriguing enough for JHS to be a first-round pick, but I believe his inconsistency will ultimately keep him out of the lottery.
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