NBA Stock Exchange: Momentum Swings In Both Directions
By Adam McGee
Buy: Rodney Hood Might Not Just Be A Role Player
When Rodney Hood entered into the league as a two-way swingman out of Duke, with potential for development, falling all the way to Utah at 23 in the 2014 NBA Draft, many predicted he could prove to be an under the radar steal.
Most of those projections were based on the ever increasing value of “three-and-D” wings around the league, but there’s a chance that Hood may even have a lot more to offer than that.
The Jazz have been decimated by a combination of a brutal schedule (fifth toughest so far) and injuries to key players like Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors and Alec Burks. In that time they needed someone to step up. The obvious choices might have been Gordon Hayward, or even Trey Burke with a bit of luck, but it’s Hood who showed an extra gear.
Since Favors and Burks last stepped on the court, Hood is averaging a solid 15.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists. That’s pretty nice for a late first round pick in only his second season.
Even more impressive are some of the games he has included in that span. 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists against Portland. 32 points and eight boards on 50 percent shooting including five made triples against Memphis. Finally, 23 points and seven assists on 5-6 from deep against Houston.
Hood is already looking like a reliable Swiss Army knife wing, but if those three games are evidence of what he could be capable of more consistently, the Jazz have got an unexpected bonus.
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