On Monday, the purple and gold team traveled to play the Philadelphia 76ers. Unfortunately, they lost by a score of 44 points.

However, rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino appeared in the first quarter and received a long run during garbage time while the game was still close. Hood-Schifino was available for the last few games, but the coach decided to start him on the sidelines due to a right patella contusion that he suffered during the preseason.

The team’s lack of depth and head coach Darvin Ham’s search for answers may have contributed to the rookie’s unexpected presence in the first quarter. Hood-Schifino discussed his feelings following his eagerly anticipated Spectrum SportsNet debut:

To be honest, I felt great. After being absent for six weeks, being able to enter and spend some time there was truly a blessing. The body felt comfortable. However, personally, I thought that was a really good thing. It felt great, for sure.

Hood-Schifino attempted to play freely and with some intensity in his fourth-quarter minutes, despite the fact that the game was a blowout.

“Just keep having fun. It was evident that there wasn’t much we could do by the time I arrived. However, the game never ends, so I believe that being able to enter there, try to manage what I could, and just keep playing till it ends is enough.

This is a perfect illustration of the need to be prepared even as a rookie on a team that is vying for a championship. Young athletes might never know when they’ll have the chance, and Hood-Schifino disclosed that Ham never informed him in advance about the 76ers game:

It wasn’t, but you should always be prepared, especially if you’re a young man. You never know when you’re going to go in there or when your name will be called. However, now that I’m cleared to play, all I have to do is stay prepared.

Due to injuries to several rotational players, an eight-man rotation has been used more often than fans would want, thus it was encouraging to see the rookie get at least one game. In his 11 minutes of play, he did not score, but he did provide two assists.

It’s hard to predict who will play in each game because players are still recovering from injuries. However, as the season goes on, it will be interesting to see if Ham gives Hood-Schifino more spot minutes.