The 2023 NBA Draft has come to a successful conclusion some time ago, and many potential rising stars from all over the world have successfully entered the NBA stage through this draft, which makes people see hope for the future. Among them, although the name of Jaime Harkes Jr., a native player in California, was not selected by the Lakers, his outstanding performance during the draft attracted widespread attention from the outside world.
Jaime Harkes Jr. has shown excellent scoring and playmaking skills in his development this season, especially against the Toronto Raptors, where he scored a high 32 points, showing amazing scoring ability and potential. According to the current statistics, Jaime Harkes Jr. is averaging 13.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, which can already put him in third place on the rookie list.
In stark contrast to Jaime Hakes Jr., the Lakers had the opportunity to select him with the second pick in the second round in this draft, but the Lakers chose younger guard Hood Schifino and missed out on the promising small forward. Hood Schifino is currently in the Lakers' lineup, and because he does not have many opportunities to play, his performance is also very average, and he does not show much strength and potential.
While Lakers management hasn't publicly expressed their views and attitudes toward missing out on Jaime Harkes Jr., as things stand, they're clearly disappointed. However, the draft is a probabilistic event, and the Lakers have their considerations, perhaps they think Hood Schifino is a better fit for the team's system and development. Either way, we expect Jaime Hakes Jr. to perform even better in his future career.
The Lakers saw a lot of dramatic changes in this year's draft. According to previous reports, the team's management had been interested in selecting California native Jaime Harkes Jr., but the end result was a surprise - they chose Hood Schiffino from Oklahoma. Despite this, Harkes was still the center of attention for many buyers in the draft, and was eventually taken away by the Heat with the 18th pick.
From the candid words, we can glimpse that even if he misses out on Hawks, the Lakers director has always maintained a consistent attitude towards the team's selection: that is, he is good at "gambling" rather than being conservative. This unique strategy has paid off in the past, but is it another failed gamble? So far this season, Hakes has played in 33 league games for the Heat, averaging 13.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. In addition, he shot 50.4 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from three-point range. In the rookie rankings released in this issue, Harkes broke into the top three rankings behind Holmgren and Wembanyama. Undoubtedly, such a performance was enough to earn Hacks respect and honor.
On the other hand, the Lakers' newly selected player, Hood Schifino, has only averaged 2.6 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game in the last seven games for the Lakers. He shot a measly 25 percent from the field and 11.1 percent from three-point range. Such strength is obviously difficult to have an "immediate" effect and bring substantial help to the current Lakers.
In a recent interview with a media outlet, Harkes made it clear that he was grateful for the Heat's selection, rather than regretting passing by the Lakers. "I wanted to leave [California], and I thought it made sense to carve out a new life and embrace uncertainty. I don't want to live the same life, and I'm very fortunate to be working with Miami. "Harkes has shown enough quality to make some Lakers executives realize that they made a mistake and even regret it. However, the history of the NBA is full of uncertainties, and perhaps the Lakers have other opportunities to make up for this regret or find other good players to strengthen the team. Hakes' future is worth looking forward to, and as for whether he can really shine in the Heat, let's be patient!