Draft 2023 | Introducing Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)

In the wake of Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton or Josh Giddey in recent years, Jalen Hood Schifino fits into the (successful) mold of tall point guards that NBA franchises enjoy.

Highly rated in his age group (#26 of the class of 2022), after a good “senior” season in “high school” at the famous Montverde academy, “JHS” then tackled the NCAA, in the ranks of the legendary Indiana program, under the orders of Mike Woodson in his second year at the head of the Hoosiers. Initially set back in the game of his team, the leader very quickly took on greater responsibilities in mid-December, when injuries propelled him to the front of the stage, at the head of the attack. of the Hoosiers.

His rise, in the hierarchy of his team but also in the pre-Draft projections, then took him from a probable first-round pick to a very probable “lottery pick” or Top 20 pick.

Profile

Job : Game leader
Size : 1m98
Weight : 98kg
Crew : Indiana Hoosiers
Stats 2022/23: 15.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists.

Strong points

– A maestro pick-and-roll. Under the orders of Mike Woodson, the Hoosiers set up an attack close to what is done in the NBA, with many phases of “pick-and-roll” and a system with four exteriors / one interior. Playmaker and therefore conductor of this team this season, Jalen Hood-Schifino has thus benefited from very many repetitions as initiator of the “pick-and-roll”, taking advantage of an airy and spaced attack to confirm his great qualities. of creator. Its large size for a player of his position allowing him to properly assess his options and read the game. Classic “pick-and-roll” or “Spain pick-and-roll”, “pick-and-pop” or passes Opposite when the defender comes to “tagger” the interior which rolls: Jalen Hood-Schifino masters all the fundamentals of a point guard in attack. School and academic, therefore, he is not and probably never will be a creative genius of the caliber of a Chris Paul, but he is certainly a future “rookie” whose volume of play in the “playmaking” will be important from his beginnings.

The native of Pennsylvania has also displayed his ability to create for him, and in particular a level of “shot-making” already well developed at mid-distance. In “pull-up” or “floater”, the former Hoosiers point guard showed that he knew how to be patient in the search for the right shot. Among the pros, faced with defenses that are most often “drop” on the “pick-and-roll”, this shot will often be available and “JHS” will undoubtedly be able to convert it frequently.

– A reliable defender. With his 1m98 for 98kg and a wingspan that almost reaches 2m10, Jalen Hood-Schifino has quite impressive physical qualities for his position. His raw stats don’t necessarily translate that he excels in the defensive sector (0.3 against and 0.8 interception), but the visual impression restores the truth.

Offshore, and in particular at the famous “point-of-attack”, “JHS” is indeed a very serious boy with significant potential. His physical qualities are particularly highlighted when he defends the ball carrier in the perimeter, where his reactive support allows him to always stay in the game. In the NBA, he will obviously have to adapt to the athletic dimension, which is more important than in the NCAA, but the basis of work is in any case solid.

Weak points

– Low explosive. Despite big physical tools, Jalen Hood-Schifino is however not very explosive. Academic leader, often in control on half-court, the former resident of the Hoosiers finds the faults in the defense thanks to his basketball IQ more than his athletic qualities, and it is a scheme which of course has limits. Especially when he has to attack the circle: less than 50% success on “layups” this season, because of a not very explosive first step and a fairly average verticality. It’s a little worrying about his projection in the pros, considering how many good circle protectors there are.

– Outside Shot Consistency. With only 33.3% success on 3.5 shots per game this season, Jalen Hood-Schifino is indeed lacking consistency behind the arc currently. His progress will go above all through rehearsals to better get used to this type of shots and through refined decision-making, because the shooting mechanics are perfect, and his mid-range shooting qualities suggest that he will know how to duplicate this achievement until behind the arc.

Comparison

A profile that recalls Jamal Murray And Jalen Brunson (with which he identifies, moreover), with a better defensive level.

Prognosis

Enter here 12th and 15th place. The Raptors (#13) in particular could choose him to eventually replace Fred VanVleet, if the latter leaves Toronto this summer. Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine the Hawks (#15) ignoring.

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