Jalen Hood-Schifino has been lighting up the G League

He may not be getting reps with the main team, but Jalen Hood-Schifinio has been showing glimpses of brilliance with the South Bay Lakers.

With the Lakers fighting to rise the ranks in the Western Conference standings, there is little margin for error on the court. That means lineups are tight, rotations are established and the Lakers are in win-now mode with no patience for a rookie guard like Jalen Hood-Schifino.

So, JHS has spent more time down in the G-League with the South Bay Lakers, getting reps instead of being glued to the Lakers bench.

The result has been JHS shining and demonstrating why he was a project worth drafting as the potential point guard of the future for the Lakers.

Against the G-League Ignite, he scored 29 points on 9-12 shooting, along with 10 rebounds and five assists, helping South Bay secure the win.

He followed that performance up with an equally impressive game versus the Austin Spurs, where he scored 38 points and had three assists and four rebounds. Unfortunately, the game resulted in a 131-126 loss, but the G-League is more about young player development than getting wins.

These performances from JHS are exactly what you want your first-round draft pick to look like in the G-League. JHS looks like a man amongst boys versus the South Bay opponents, and for now, that’ll have to be good enough while he works on his game and stays ready for whatever minutes can be spared with the Lakers this year.

Fans may be disappointed that he hasn’t made much noise in the NBA like other young Lakers, but remember, being a guard, particularly in the West, is tough. Being on a LeBron James-led team adds another complex factor, as JHS needs to get used to being more off-ball with the starters and handling the ball when playing with the backup units. There is a steep learning curve that needs to be acknowledged.

Yes, Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat and Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors were both taken right after JHS and have played well, but don’t blame him for that. He wasn’t drafted to contribute this season and has essentially performed as predicted in our season preview.

Good things take time and if JHS is allowed some grace, the future point guard for the L.A. Lakers may already be in place. For now, he’s making the most of his opportunities in the G-League.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.