After making a solid jump from his rookie to sophomore seasons, Rodney Hood only averaged 12.7 points and 3.4 rebounds in 59 games. With Gordon Hayward signing with the Boston Celtics in free agency, an opportunity has emerged for Hood, who is eligible for a contract extension.
According to Benjamin Mehic of Deseret News, Hood's long-term fit will come into question:
Eligible for a contract extension, Hood’s long-term fit with the Utah Jazz will come into question in 2017-18, if it hasn’t already.
Earlier in the offseason, general manager Dennis Lindsey felt Hood was capable of becoming the team's primary scorer for the 2017-18 NBA season:
Dennis Lindsey: "We believe Rodney Hood can be a primary scorer. It's time for us to pivot, it's time for us to move on."
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) July 6, 2017
Like most young players, the issue is consistency. If Hood understands how many shot attempts he will receive per game and is able to shoot a higher percentage than his career averages (41.5 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three), the Jazz may be able to stay afloat in the competitive Western Conference.
After improving each season under head coach Quin Snyder, it will be interesting to see how they fill Hayward's void. During the offseason, Jazz drafted Donovan Mitchell, traded for Ricky Rubio, re-signed Joe Ingles, and signed Thabo Sefolosha.
While the Jazz are still a competitive team, Hood will need to take another jump this upcoming season and may have an opportunity to quickly cash in.
Follow Us
Subscribe