I've been really high and really low on Rod. What I've come to grips with is that we don't have the personnel to maximize his play style. He really needs a Korver/Reddick role. Weaving through off-ball screens until he pops out and has a catch and shoot 3 (which he's actually quite good at) and make that 80% of his contribution. Maybe the occasional mismatch "mouse-in-the-house" "back-down" "keep-em-on-your-hip" mid-ranger that he used to do a lot (but hardly does now). Right now we're asking him to facilitate (which he's actually OK at), drive (which he's not OK at), and be basically the only offensive weapon on the floor (he often plays without Mitchell, and the other team can ignore everyone else and stick to him like glue).
He needs a team where he would be the 3rd guy, where he can pop out for open looks, spread the floor, but ultimately not be game-planned for. We aren't that team.
This is what Jazz fans need to consider about Hood. I’m not against trading him to truly help us, but Hood is only 4 years in to his career and has shown he can get hot and be a decent shooter. IMO he’s struggling because of two things, he’s confused what his roll should be (considering Mitchell is now the face of the franchise, when he was being looked at as the guy). The second reason he’s struggling is I feel he’s putting to much pressure on himself.
Look at a trade like Kevin Love to Cleveland. Love struggled when he first went to Cleveland , and it looked like it wasn’t working very well. Love finally came to terms with and fell into his roll as mostly just a guy that stands outside the 3 point line and shoots 3s, and rebound and he’s good with that now.
Rodney is struggling right now, no doubt, but Rodney is a piece that could be the reason you win a series or playoff game with his shooting. The issue is not whether Rodney can shoot or score, he can, and at times he’s amazing to watch, he simply needs consistency. The Spurs game was pretty to watch him get so hot. Most Jazz fans are expecting too much out of this season. We lost Hayward, Hill, and essentially Gobert, and guess what our record shows it. We have a big wound from last offseason and it’s gonna take a couple years to heal up.
I get frustrated with Rodney, but Rodney is the kind of guy you need and that can make or break you in a playoff series. The guys shooting better on the road than at home. He’s obviously feeling the pressure of fans and you can see it on the court because it’s so obvious at times he’s pressing. It feels like only 2 out of 10 shots the last couple months he’s shooting confident. In the Heat game literally for about 6 jump shots straight he was falling to the ground or flailing trying to get a foul call instead of just shooting the shot. Then he shot a couple jumpers without trying to get the fouls call and he knocked them both down. He’s pressing, and he’s pressing because he knows when Hayward left he was next in line and he hasn’t been able to fill Hayward’s roll, and I’ve seen the hate he’s got on social media, it’s ridiculous and there’s no way it doesn’t rattle you a little with the roll Rodney is currently in.
Jazz fans just need to consider Rodney is very talented and a decent shooter. When he’s locked in he’s not a bad defender either. Hayward in season 4 was not that great either and the team wasn’t winning then. Hayward only really blossomed last season. This season is going to be tough, and as a Jazz fan, while I wouldn’t care if they traded Hood, I would also be okay with them to continue to work with him, develop him, and believe in him. Jazz fans shouldn’t give up on Rodney, he has some real bright spots, which is all Hayward had in year 4 as well. Rodney needs to get some pressure taken off him and simply find his roll and be comfortable again. He’s not right now.
I mean it amazes me how people will criticize Hayward leaving and calling him unloyal, and then as a fan base demand a guy is traded because he’s struggled and had a few bad moments this season. At what point are you going to be loyal? Or as an organization be loyal to players? It’s always about players not being loyal but what about fans and organizations? The guys in year 4 and his roll has been completely turned upside down, is it really time to give up on him already? Or should we just accept that the team got its heart ripped out of it last summer and we should have expected this type of season. Next season I expect more wins, and a few moves to be made between here and next season.
Donovan Mitchell/Rudy Gobert is a good place to be as a franchise.
Hood and Exum have good potential, and can help you win especially once they’ve further developed in a couple years. These guys are young, and still all in the early parts of their careers. A guy like Hood is someone you may want someday that could put you over the hump. You need that guy who can sit outside the three point line and knock down 3s. Hood just needs to fall in that roll at some point. There are some tweaks that need to be made on the roster. I go back and forth whether Hood should be one of those tweaks or not. He’s in his fourth year, let’s give him a break, support him, and see how he can develop as long as he’s here. I think some serious fan support would help him feel less pressured and play better right now. I’m not altogether ready to give up on the guy, but he does need to improve and have consistent games shooting 7/13, not games where he shoots 1/13 and others he shoots 12/13. He needs to get the pressure off him and just fall into the roll he’s good at.
