Former Duke standout Rodney Hood is getting his chance to prove he belongs in the starting rotation for the Utah Jazz.
Hood has been given the opportunity to start thanks in large part to a season ending injury to Alec Burks. Burks suffered a left shoulder injury Dec. 1 against Denver and has been playing through pain for nearly a month. As unfortunate as injuries are they often lead to big opportunities for other players.
Oct 29, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Houston Rockets at EnergySolutions Arena. The Rockets won 104-93. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
The player that is getting this opportunity is Rodney Hood. Hood was selected 23rd overall in the 2014 draft by the Utah Jazz and was expected to become a contributor on a young Jazz team. Hood is a versatile wing player who has the ability to shoot from deep and create off the dribble. Not to mention he is 6-8 and can play the off guard or the wing.
Before the injury to Burks Hood was playing a more reserved role seeing limited minutes. He has appeared in 22 out of the 32 games but has now started five games. Even though his playing time has been brief Hood hasn’t been extremely productive or efficient. Through 22 games he is averaging only 31.6 percent from the field for 5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists. The numbers don’t look staggering but he is a young rookie only playing 18 minutes a game.
He has plenty of time to grow and now has the chance to show his talent. The Jazz are young and are not heading to the playoffs, especially in the Western Conference, so they can afford to give their young players a chance to shine.
At Duke, only for one season, Hood was a star. He formed part of a dynamic duo with Jabari Parker and on some nights Hood was the better player. Overall he is not a better player than Parker but Hood has the ability and has proven he can be an elite player.
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For his lone season as a Blue Devil Hood averaged 16.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. The most impressive stat for Hood was that he connected on 42 percent from three and was only behind Parker in scoring.
Now that Hood has a chance to start in the NBA he will only mature and improve. As the season progresses he will become more comfortable in the offense and with the team. Hood has the ability to spread the floor with his shot but he has the ability to create his own shot. Up to this point in the season Hood has mainly been a catch and shoot player but with Burks out the Jazz will need another player to step up and become a scorer.
Gordon Hayward is clearly the Jazz’s best player who can help teach Hood how to adjust to the NBA game. Trey Burke has been wildly inconsistent but has shown that he can be a top player on any given night. The Jazz need to find a new scorer, who can become consistent, and Hood has that potential.
Rodney Hood is a long and athletic wing player with the ability to shoot. He will need to improve his strength to last a full season in the NBA and to guard the bigger players. Playing the wing and off the ball Hood will have to defend stronger and quicker players.
Hood is in for a good rookie season and will only get better with the extra playing time. His game will continue to grow and he will become a more complete player with the ability to defend the wing and have a versatile offensive game. Big things are on the horizon for Hood, he just has to seize the moment. #DukeInTheNBA