Commentary: Hood better short-term prospect for Jazz


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SALT LAKE CITY — Walking the streets of downtown Salt Lake these days, it’s easy to see Utah Jazz fans are excited about the future of the franchise.

The Jazz, despite having a season full of losses last season, have experienced an offseason filled with wins in a variety of areas. First, the team went and got a coach that promises to build an exciting template for the future in Quin Snyder; then, by an almost magical circumstance, Australian guard Dante Exum fell to the team’s fifth pick. And, if Utah fans weren’t greedy enough, they got a player in Duke senior Rodney Hood who was projected to go much higher than the Jazz ultimately got him. How could it have gotten better?

As referenced by the close to 10,000 fans that showed up at an open practice on July 10, Jazz fans are genuinely excited at the prospect of watching Exum and Hood join the team’s chemistry, and are looking forward to the intriguing storylines their arrival provides. However, one of the biggest questions that hasn’t been asked yet deserves to be stated, and it goes as such — who will have a bigger impact for the Utah Jazz this season: Exum or Hood?

By now, Jazz fans have heard the projections from various NBA talent evaluators regarding Exum’s future, and have had all of the water cooler discussions. His performance in the Summer League in Las Vegas showcased his numerous abilities (athleticism, speed, defensive ability), but also exposed his weakness (shooting prowess). If Exum were a commodity that was traded, a stockbroker would evaluate his immediate future to be bearish. There will definitely be a time this season where he will hit the “rookie wall,” just as fellow point guard Trey Burke did last season.

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However, Exum’s skillset makes his future bullish. He’s still so young, and that’s both a blessing and a curse. Just as Burke struggled with conditioning his still-growing body, Exum most definitely will. There will be growing pains in the immediate future, but there is the potential for future highlights. Jazz fans will have to be patient with him.

Also, there is the actual competition for playing with Burke that will definitely play a factor. Remember, Burke averaged nine points and four assists a game in Summer League play, taking 27 minutes of playing time a game. In the process, Burke led every single Utah player in points per game. Exum averaged 7.2 points a game while averaging 26.6 minutes a game. From those numbers, it’s easy to see Burke is ahead of Exum, and will be for much of the early portion of the season.

For that reason alone, Rodney Hood will be the better player for the Jazz this season, because he has the most room to operate. Last year, Utah struggled mightily shooting the long ball, averaging just 34 percent from behind the 3-point arc. The team’s leading 3-point shooter, Richard Jefferson, has left the team, as have the second- and third-place shooters, Diante Garrett and Marvin Williams. Thus, the Jazz have a hole that will need to be filled with someone who can shoot, and Hood can immediately step into that role.

In his Summer League debut with the Jazz, Hood led the Jazz in scoring average, scoring 13.4 points a game. Also, his 3-point shooting, while inconsistent, showcased his ability to a floor-stretching threat. Also, because of his exposure to pro style coaching at Duke, expect Hood to grasp the NBA lifestyle quicker than Exum might. Also, remember that Hood’s age will undoubtedly play a factor in his short-term use.

Long term, Exum undoubtedly has the bigger potential. His age, his explosiveness and his court vision will help him become a franchise player, and Jazz fans’ expectations are that he will do that. However, he won’t do it this year. Just as Exum’s short-term market is bearish, Hood’s short-term market is bullish. He will be able to play in the league this season and has the potential to develop into a quality bench option for Utah.

The development plan Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey set in motion in 2013 has finished the “get worse before you get better” phase, and is starting to enter the “let’s make mistakes, as long as we’re developing” phase. It’s meaningless as to what happens this season, as long as players and the team are developing. Hood will develop most by playing, as he has an NBA-ready skillset. Exum will benefit by playing in the right scenarios, with a healthy amount of watching. This will allow his body to develop and condition him to playing in the league.

Again, Jazz fans deserve to be excited, but patience will be the name of the game with Exum. Vote Hood, if you’re voting for the “Biggest Rookie Impact Player of the Year,” in the Utah Jazz category.

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Jon Oglesby

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