Name: Rodney Hood Age: 21 School: Duke
Height: 6’8 Weight: 215 Projected Position: F
2013-14 Stats:
16.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, 0.7 spg, 1.5 tpg (32.9 minutes per game)
46.4 FG%, 80.7 FT%, 42.0 3FG%
59.0 TS%, 55.0 eFG%, 23.8 USG%, 7.2 TRB%
SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN
Offense
Perimeter Shooting
Hood is a very good perimeter shooter, especially off the catch when he has his feet set. He has good form on his jumper, with a high, quick release, great lift, good follow-through, and range out to the NBA three-point line. Hood does a good job getting square to the basket quickly off the catch, though he has should watch rushing his release if he feels pressured. Hood uses screens well to set up his jumper, but he needs to work on using his dribble more to clear space for his jumper, especially when he has a man one-on-one. Hood has shown that he can make a quick move to create space, but it can leave him off-balance when he tries to take his shot. Hood can move well without the ball, using screens and cuts to create space, though he needs to watch coming too wide around screens and allowing defenders space to stay with him. He also needs to work on moving and finding other ways if his first attempt to get open is stopped. He needs to work on coming off screens tighter, giving him more separation to shoot. His shot selection was generally good, and even when he was off, they were usually good shots.
Penetration
Hood can be effective when he looks to get into the lane and to the basket, but he is much better when he goes to his left. He has a decent first step, and he uses long strides and good body control to get by defenders and to the rim. He doesn’t shy away from contact when he is in the lane, and he has shown that if the help is there quickly, he can hit the short jumper. Hood can be a creative finisher around the basket, though he will almost always look to finish with his left hand, even if the defender is on that side of him. He likes to use a spin move when he starts attacking to the right side so he can end up finishing with his left. He does a good job keeping his head up and seeing the defense when he gets into the lane, for the most part, and if the defense helps quickly, Hood can find open teammates. He has an improving mid-range jumper, and his size often allows him to get good looks. Hood should work on attacking the basket more off of screens, especially learning how to come off them tight enough to gain a step on his defender or force a switch.
Ballhandling/Passing
Hood is an average ballhandler with both hands, though he is much stronger going to his natural left. With his left, he has good control, keeps the ball low and close to his body, and is confident making moves to the basket. Hood can be hesitant when he goes to his right, and will often stop or pull up, or force the ball left even when he has the right side open. He doesn’t use many advanced dribbles, though he has shown a nice hesitation dribble when he looks to get to the basket from the right side of the court to the left. Also, he needs to continue to work on using his dribble effectively to make space for his jumper, even if it’s just a dribble or two to get a better look. Hood sees the floor well, and his size allows him to make good passes over the defense. He can find teammates when he draws help defenders off of penetration but the passes need to be stronger and on target. Hood should work on making post entry passes from the wing, especially when it can help him get space for his shot.
Free Throw Shooting
Hood is an above-average free throw shooter with a consistent routine, fluid shooting motion and good follow-through. Hood doesn’t get to the free throw line consistently (135 times on 412 field goal attempts), mainly because he will often spend most of his time out on the perimeter (less than 20% of his baskets were around the rim, but when he looks to attack the basket, he doesn’t shy from drawing contact.
Defense
Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)
Hood is an average on-ball defender, though he would be better with some consistency. He positions himself well between his man and the basket, and he shows good lateral movement on occasion. He needs to work on his stance when defending, though when he needs to lock down, he gets into a good, low stance. Hood also needs to improve on anticipating and reacting to his man’s movements well, as well as not falling for quick dribble or shot fakes. He has the potential to guard multiple positions once he improves how he defends. Hood has the length to disrupt passing lanes and close well on shooters, but he needs to work on reacting quicker. He has to work on how he handles getting through screens, both on and off the ball, especially knowing when to get over screens. Off the ball, Hood generally positions himself well, though he can find himself drifting too much away from his man. He can be a good help defender, and his length helps in trapping situations. He needs to work on navigating through screens off the ball, especially getting learning how to play angles and stay with his man. His defensive awareness is okay, but needs some work, especially when he finds himself chasing his man around the floor.
Rebounding
Hood has the physical skills to be a good rebounder, but he puts very little effort into it. Hood needs to work on making sure he looks to put a body on someone when the shot goes up and anticipate better where the miss is likely to go. He needs to be more aggressive going after missed shots. Hood also could be a factor on the offensive boards, though he rarely looks to make plays off of the offensive glass. Partly, it’s because he spends most of his time on the perimeter, but he should look for opportunities to crash the glass if the space is there.
Transition
Hood can be very good in transition, especially running one of the wings. If running on the wing in transition, Hood is capable of spotting up behind the 3-point line, taking the ball to the basket off the dribble, or he can make a line for the basket and finish above the rim. Hood could help push the ball in transition, though he doesn’t have the ballhandling skills or decision-making ability to do it yet at the NBA level.
Intangibles/Summary
After sitting out a season due to his transfer from Mississippi State, Hood emerged quickly as part of a tremendous one-two scoring combo with freshman Jabari Parker. We knew about his high-level athleticism and potential from his one year in Starksville, but he showed a much more balanced game this past season. Hood has NBA-range on his jumper, and his size and athleticism allow him to get very good looks at the basket. He showed a much more-refined mid-range game this season, though he often deferred to it instead of looking to attack the basket. A natural lefty, Hood needs to continue to work on strengthening his right hand, especially using it to get to the rim. Hood needs to work on becoming a much more consistent defender, especially given his skill and athleticism. When he was focused on defense, he did a good job playing the ball and guarding multiple positions. Hood developed nicely during his time at Duke and you can see how his understanding of the game has improved.
Draft Value: Mid-Late 1st – #13-20
Hood’s shooting ability combined with size, high-level athleticism, and some untapped potential will make many teams strongly consider Hood in the lottery, and he likely wouldn’t last much past there. His offensive game is adaptable to many systems, and once he becomes more comfortable looking to get to the basket, he could become a major scoring threat. Coaches will need to get him to buy in on the defensive end, but if they do, they can have a versatile defender in Hood. He will be on the list of rookies likely to make an immediate impact next season.
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Photo: Lance King/Getty Images
