MrMojoRisin
Well-Known Member
Two jazzmen made the list so far. Hood coming in at #85 and Hill at #56 (note: Teague was ranked #57)
https://www.si.com/nba/2016/09/12/nba-top-100-player-rankings
https://www.si.com/nba/2016/09/12/nba-top-100-player-rankings
In Year Two, Rodney Hood completely flipped the script from “Boy, he really slid on draft night” to “Boy, a lot of teams regret that he really slid on draft night.” It’s no wonder that teams like the Thunder and Grizzlies are kicking themselves for passing on Hood (14.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.7 APG), who went to the Jazz at No. 23 in 2014. There’s a lot to love about Hood’s game: he can play with or without the ball, he can initiate in pick-and-roll settings or space on the wing, he can read team defenses and find the open man, he can swing multiple positions on both offense and defense, and he can handle playing starter minutes in the West even though he’s only 23. Meanwhile, Hood did all of that while playing on a Jazz team that had brutal point guard play and a laundry list of major injuries. There’s no telling how high his utility might climb if he was cast as a third or fourth option behind established superstars, or if Utah’s core group can make it through an entire season together unscathed. (Last year: Not ranked)
His 8.1 career Win Shares rank No. 1 among 2014 draft class members.
Hood, a lefty, studied James Harden to hone his deliberate style in high pick-and-rolls
He's a mediocre defender for his position, with room to improve
He can grow as a closer, shooting just 40% overall (and 24.2 3P%) in clutch situations
Hill's natural inclination is to complement—effectively deferring to his playmaking teammates by helping to establish the spacing they need to thrive. Only 12 players in the league last season finished with a higher three-point percentage than Hill. Among them, only two (Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson) have any claim to being a superior defender. That makes Hill a top option within the 3-and-D mold and truly unique in that he defaults as a nominal point guard. Wing players who want the ball in their hands need a teammate like Hill alongside them to be effective in unassuming roles. Don’t confuse Hill’s default preference for inability. When put into situations where his individual creation was needed, Hill has swelled to fill the void. He’s a smart, balanced practitioner of the screen-and-roll with the experience to run an offense. He also just happens to be perfectly willing to take a backseat while another teammate drives or pick up a challenging assignment to save someone else the trouble. Hill is game for whatever, and his open-minded play only serves to broaden his team’s options. (Last year: No. 80).
Previously held up well as a higher-usage pick-and-roll option in the absence of a star
Tall and long enough to realistically defend across three positions
Can easily fade into the background on teams that don’t move the ball consistently
Intermediate game can be a touch erratic
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