It sure looks like the Lakers drafted the wrong scoring machine twice in a row

Some topics instantly make a franchise uncomfortable. For the Los Angeles Lakers, revisiting what happened during the 2023 and 2024 NBA Drafts is one of them — the kind that brings back painful what-if scenarios.

Holding the 17th overall pick in consecutive drafts, the Lakers had two clear opportunities to inject scoring into a roster that has long struggled to generate offense from its bench. Instead, those picks have become a growing source of frustration.

Two chances, same result

In 2023, the Lakers selected Jalen Hood-Schifino, a tall, ball-handling guard who was viewed as a long-term developmental piece. That development never materialized. Hood-Schifino struggled to find a role in Los Angeles — or in the NBA at all — and was ultimately reduced to a throw-in piece in the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade.

One year later, the Lakers found themselves in the exact same draft position.

With the 17th pick in 2024, Los Angeles chose Dalton Knecht, a more NBA-ready scorer expected to help immediately. While Knecht has shown flashes, the pick has already begun to look questionable when compared to players selected shortly afterward.

Two swings. Two outcomes that look rough in hindsight.

Bench scoring that never arrived

The Lakers’ lack of bench production has been a recurring issue for years. This season, they rank near the bottom of the NBA in bench scoring, a trend that dates back to 2023–24 and 2024–25 as well.

Consistently getting little to no offensive spark from the second unit puts enormous pressure on the starters. The Lakers have survived it at times, but simply hitting on one of these two draft picks could have changed the entire dynamic of the roster.

Instead, the problem remains unsolved.

Hood-Schifino vs. what could have been

Of the two selections, Hood-Schifino stands out as the more glaring miss.

Selected at No. 17, he was immediately followed by Jaime Jaquez Jr., who has since emerged as one of the most productive bench players in the league. In the 2025–26 season, Jaquez is averaging 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists, shooting 53.3% from the field while playing nearly 30 minutes per game, mostly off the bench.

That’s the exact type of contributor the Lakers desperately need — and passed on.

Dalton Knecht: defensible, but still disappointing

Knecht’s case is more nuanced. Unlike Hood-Schifino, he has NBA-level skills and has shown he can score. In many ways, he may be as much a victim of circumstance as anything else.

Still, it’s hard to ignore the alternatives.

Players like Tristan Da Silva, Jaylon Tyson, and Kyshawn George were available and could arguably provide a better fit, more defensive versatility, or more consistent bench scoring than Knecht has delivered so far.

Even if scoring isn’t the Lakers’ biggest issue, a reliable offensive boost from the bench would ease the burden on the stars — particularly on the defensive end.

Everything is connected — and that’s the problem

Basketball is a game of interconnected parts. Weak bench scoring leads to heavier minutes for stars. Heavier minutes reduce defensive intensity. Defensive lapses cost wins.

For the Lakers, the failure to capitalize on two straight draft opportunities has had a ripple effect across the roster.

Looking back, it increasingly feels like Los Angeles drafted the wrong scoring machine twice in a row — and that reality is one they’re still paying for.