Rodney Hood

Duke’s 2013/14 season ended with a shocking first round upset to Mercer, but on an individual level it was an all-around success for standout Rodney Hood.  The 6’8″ small forward impressed with his offensive game throughout the year and averaged 16.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 32.9 minutes per contest.  Hood, widely regarded as one of the best at his position in the 2014 draft, took some time out of his busy schedule earlier this week to chat with Hoops Rumors about his journey thus far, his skill set, and when he believes he’ll hear his name called on June 26th.

What can you bring to an NBA team?

“I just think I’m ready to play right away.  I’m a versatile player, I can guard most positions, I can handle the ball, and I’ve gotten better this season.  I’m not the same player I was the year before.  I’m ready to contribute to a team.”

It seems like your draft stock skyrocketed over the course of the year.  Did your sizable leap surprise you at all?

“No, not really.  I always had the vision in mind to be a top-10 pick and that’s something I always worked towards in my year off [due to transferring from Mississippi State] and this year.  I think the difference was me just getting better and gaining confidence in my abilities.  That’s the biggest jump I’ve had, and I still think I can go up even more.”

Do you view yourself as the best shooter in this draft?

“I feel like I am and I feel like I’m different than everybody else in the draft in terms of being able to shoot the ball and being one of the most athletic guys out there. I think that sets me apart, plus I’m taller than most guys at my position.”

What are the main parts of your game that you want to work on?

“I just want to get stronger and I’m down here at IMG working on all parts of my game.  I’m getting better with my shot and doing stuff off the dribble.”

Are you working out individually or with other draft prospects?

“There are others here [at IMG] but I’m training by myself, mainly working out with [coaches] Dan Barto and Kenny Natt.”

How do you respond to concerns over your defense?

“I think it’s way overblown.  Obviously, I need to make some improvement, but every game I was guarding the best player, whether they play the 2 or the 3.  I won Duke’s Defensive Player of the Year award this year, [coach Mike Krzyzewski] always put me on the best player, so I think Coach K knows what I’m doing out there.  I’m not saying I’m the best player on D but I don’t think that’s a big weakness or anything to worry about.”

Do you have an read on where you might get drafted?  

“I’m not sure yet.  Based on what some people have said and what a couple of teams have told me, I can go from pick No. 6-12 or anywhere in the top 15.  That’s what I’ve been hearing.  Not from any mock drafts or anything, but just from people I talk to.”

Did you have any hesitation over entering the draft early?

“It was always a goal of mine just to play one year at Duke and then leave for the NBA.  It was hard leaving Duke because it’s such a great place to be and being with Coach K was great.  I wish I had another year to be under his leadership, but I just felt like it was my time to go.  Being at Duke prepared me for this transition.”

The first round loss to Mercer was obviously heartbreaking, but did you feel like you learned from that experience?

“I definitely learned from it.  It was tough just being in that situation but I’m a pro now.  It’s … it’s just hard to leave on that note but I talked to Coach K and he told me not to base my decision off of one game.  I had a really good season and it was just one bad game out of 30-something.  I’ll always remember that game though.”

From an emotional standpoint, in the immediate aftermath of that game, did you think about changing course and staying for one more year?

“I think in every kid’s mind, as soon as you get off of a loss, you get emotional and you say you want to come back.  But, at the end of day, I had to do what was best for me.  For all you know, the same thing could happen next year, so I couldn’t come back for that reason or because I thought I owed something.  It was about being ready [for the NBA] and I’m ready to go chase my dream.”

Who did you talk with before making the decision to enter the draft?

“Pretty much everybody.  I spoke with my family; I had a lot of conversations with Coach K and Wojo (former Duke Associate Head Coach Steve Wojciechowski). Even though he got the head coaching job at Marquette, I was in constant contact with him.  I also talked with Mason Plumlee and a lot of different people, but, mainly, Coach K and my family, and I was praying that I made the right decision.”

If you had to give a scouting report on Jabari Parker for an NBA team, what would you tell them?

“I’d just say he’s a great kid who works hard all the time and is just a great guy to be around.  Obviously you can see his talent and that’s the most important thing you see from him, that he just loves the game of basketball.”

What made you choose Travis King and the folks at Relativity to represent you?

“After talking with Travis and Dan Fegan, I felt like it was the best decision for me.  They really know my game and they really believe in me as a player.  I didn’t want to be just another player, I wanted to be one of the top guys represented by my agent, and I felt like they were the right team for me.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Heading into the 2013/14 college basketball season, most of the discussions about Duke players and the 2014 NBA Draft revolved around Jabari Parker, and deservedly so. But Rodney Hood also began the year as a projected top-10 pick, but has moved down in the rankings due to the unexpected emergence of other players and some of his limitations on the defensive end.

But Hood apparently decided one year in Durham was enough and was rumored to be entering the 2014 draft. He is ranked 25th in the latest mock by Draft Express,  while NBA Draft.net has him 11th, and CBSSports.com ranks him 13th. Chad Ford of ESPN.com has Hood currently ranked 16th on his Big Board.

The Mississippi State transfer entered the season as a player regarded to have a great outside shot, a good ability to take the ball to the rim, and no major offensive weaknesses that would keep him from being an NBA player. He didn’t do anything to dispel these notions. In 35 games Hood averaged 16.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.1 APG while playing 32.9 minutes per game. His slash line was .464/.420/.807. Hood’s numbers his freshman year at Mississippi State were 10.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.0 APG in 32.8 minutes a night.

Hood shares many of the traits that have attracted NBA teams to Parker’s game. He has shown himself to be a versatile player with excellent length, and good athleticism. He is also effective out in transition, able to finish at the rim, can beat defenders off the dribble, and can be very effective from behind the three-point line.

He ranked eighth in the ACC in 3-point field goals made, and sixth in total field goals made. Hood ranked first overall in effective field goal percentage with .550. His overall field goal percentage of .464 was good for fourth in the ACC, and his offensive win shares of 3.7 was good for third in the conference. Fine numbers for playing on a team as talented as Duke.

There aren’t a bunch of concerns about Hood’s offensive game, but there are a few question marks. Hood hardly ever goes to his right and this could become an issue at the next level. Teams will force him to use his right hand and it hasn’t been seen if he can finish going that way. The other unknown is Hood hasn’t been viewed as a play maker. While at Mississippi State he was strictly a catch and shoot player, but at Duke he has demonstrated a little more variety to his game. To be an effective scorer in the NBA though, Hood will have to show more of an ability to create his own shot. He also still needs to work more on passing to the open man instead of forcing up bad shots.

Though he has worked on his body, Hood has a slight frame and needs to add upper body strength, which he’ll need to play against NBA small forwards. He stands 6’8″, but is a slim 215 pounds. The majority of his offense comes as a shooter, because his lack of strength makes him hesitant to drive. Hood is also not a great rebounder, which again points to a lack of strength. He doesn’t have a frame made to carry bulk, so it will be a challenge for him to correct this.

Hood’s biggest weakness as an NBA prospect revolves around his defense, as he has shown questionable intensity on this end of the floor, rarely getting into an actual stance and frequently being knocked off balance and taken advantage of off the dribble due to his lack of strength. His relatively short arms don’t help, which may be reflected in his inability to generate steals (0.7 SPG), blocks (0.3 BPG) or rebounds (3.9 RPG), all of which rank among the worst rates in the draft at his position. According to Draft Express Hood has decent lateral quickness, so he could end up becoming at least adequate in this area, but he’ll have to improve his motor and hustle quite a bit and also get stronger and tougher, as he allows himself to get pushed around with minimal resistance more than he should.

It is all but certain that if Hood makes the jump to the NBA, the interest will be there. He will be a first-round pick and possibly crack the lottery, so it’s difficult to fault him for turning pro. But if Hood elected to come back to Duke this would give scouts the chance to see how he performs when he isn’t benefiting from playing alongside Parker, who is arguably the best player in college basketball. Hood could also use another year under coach Mike Krzyzewski to raise his overall basketball I.Q.. This could set him up to be an early lottery pick in 2015.

The temptation will probably prove too great for Hood. There is always a demand for shooters in the league, and he certainly has a sweet stroke from downtown. His offensive game reminds me of Robert Horry‘s, and as a prospect, his ceiling has been compared to Rashard Lewis‘. My prediction is that he might sneak into the end of the lottery, but more than likely falls into the 16-24 range, where he could end up being a value pick. His limitations will hold him back from stardom, but he has the offensive tools to be a valuable role player in the NBA.