Rodney Hood looks poised for a breakout sophomore season
By Alex Wood
The Utah Jazz are in the mix for playoff contention in the Western Conference. Although pretty quiet in terms of offseason moves, the Jazz have developed a strong, young nucleus of Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert, and Trey Burke. After starting the season 19-34, the Jazz thrived after the all-star break, finishing the season with a 19-10 stretch. The 19-10 finish was emblematized by the trading of Enes Kanter and the emergence of Rudy Gobert; both caused the Jazz defense to turn into one of the best in the league. Another key factor regarding their success was the blossoming of Rodney Hood.
Hood played the role of “next man up” when starting shooting guard Alec Burks injured his shoulder, having season-ending surgery less than 30 games into the season. Hood averaged 8.7 points, 1.7 assists, and 2.3 rebounds a game over the course of his rookie year, but it's his second-half success that has Jazz fans so excited about him.
After the All-Star break, Hood averaged 12 points, along with 2 rebounds and 2 assists, while shooting 46 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the three-point line. He also won Rookie of the Month in April, playing 21 minutes a game. In addition, post all-star break, Hood posted an 11% PIE (Player Impact Estimate), which is the measure of a player's overall statistical contribution against the total statistics in the games in which they play. Therefore, while the Jazz were on their winning stretch, Hood was making a large contribution on both ends of the floor.
In the final 29 games, the Utah Jazz led the NBA in defensive rating, giving up 94.8 points per 100 possessions. Gobert's impact was most notable: opponents' shooting percentages fell more than 10% when Gobert was within six feet of the shooter. In his own respect, Hood was also a great contributor to the defensive success of the Jazz. He has great size for the shooting guard position, at 6'8, while also possessing excellent athleticism. These traits make Hood a strong on-ball defender and a lengthy body to help out in the paint.
At the 2015 NBA Summer League, Hood showed his continued improvement. He was dominant offensively, scoring as the ball handler on screen-and-rolls, hitting pin-down screen jump shots, and scoring effectively in transition. Hood scored 23 points and had 10 rebounds in the first Summer League contest and followed that with an efficient 8-14 shooting game, totaling 18 points.
This season, look for Hood to breakout offensively. With the return of Alec Burks from injury, Hood will most likely have a battle for his starting shooting guard spot. Whether Hood starts or comes off the bench, his minutes will likely increase due to his versatility. The Jazz are sure to play Hood in multiple positions in a way similar to how the Warriors' employed Andre Iguodala (Hood exposing a mismatch in a small-ball scenario).
With Hood becoming an impact player, the Jazz have a lot of pieces to compete in the stacked Western Conference. As a defensive focused team, look for the young Jazz to make the playoffs, possibly securing the 7th or 8th seed. The Jazz are a fun team to watch and have a fun player to watch in Hood. Get ready for winning basketball in Salt Lake City.
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