Catch Hood on the right night, and he looks like a star -- raining 3-pointers, and dropping in soft, old-school lefty floaters. He makes you forget all the other nights when he goes 2-of-7 on those tough midrange looks.
Only 11 percent of Hood's shots have come within four feet of the hoop, a career-low, and a mark that puts him in the 9th percentile among wing players,
per Cleaning The Glass. His tendency to settle deflates his free throw attempts and passing numbers. You can't drive-and-kick if you abort drives before drawing extra help. Hood averages less than two assists per game -- a teensy number for a wing who has the ball so much.
He has more in him. When he takes that one extra dribble deep into the paint, Hood unlocks more options, and serves up some canny interior passes:
You can see him pause to contemplate his pet floater before prodding for something better. Hood is already shooting 39 percent from deep. He tries on defense, and he's big enough to bully smaller guys in the paint. This extra dribble is the missing piece.
