Ranking the 5 best point guards in the 2023 NBA Draft

NBA Draft Point Guard #4: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Indiana

Outside of having a great name, Jalen Hood-Schifino also has a great game. He probably could’ve elevated his draft stock if he stuck around in Bloomington for another season, but the Indiana Hoosiers’ one-and-done player is still an intriguing prospect.

Hood-Schifino arrived at Mike Woodson’s program with plenty of hype and lived up to it. He averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year accolades.

Hood-Schifino’s most intriguing attribute may be his measurements. While playing in the style of a point guard, Hood-Schifino is big for the position at 6-foot-6 with a 6’10” wingspan, enabling him to be more physical on the defensive end with competing guards.

He’s also really strong in pick-and-roll. He has the basketball acumen to make the right pass if it’s open, but he can also pull up and shoot from the mid-range or from three, albeit with less consistency from the latter—he hit 33 percent of his threes last year.

His size hides a lack of explosiveness seen in some of the NBA’s quicker guards, like Ja Morant or De’Aaron Fox. It would be useful for him to develop some explosiveness, but not at the expense of his size and physicality, which are his keys to a long professional basketball career.

Hood-Schifino should be a good sleeper for a team in the middle of the first round. He could use more polish, but his size and ability in the pick-and-roll should prove crucial for a career that should be more akin to that of a lottery pick.