When the Utah Jazz lost their two top scorers to free agency during this most recent offseason, many worried about their ability to produce consistent scoring numbers. With the departure of Gordon Hayward and George Hill, a lot of the scoring responsibility will now fall on their remaining wings such as Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, and Rodney Hood.
That unit thinned down even more after Hood suffered what appeared to be a serious calf injury in their most recent outing against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, according to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune, Hood’s MRI revealed only a minor calf strain, meaning the 25-year-old isn’t in danger of missing extended time:
Tribune sources: Rodney Hood's MRI revealed a minor calf strain. He is considered day to day
— Tony Jones (@tribjazz) October 21, 2017
With Dante Exum already likely undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery, the news that Hood’s injury is a relatively minor one has to come as a relief for Utah.
With an interior anchor of Rudy Gobert’s caliber, it’s integral for the stout center to be surrounded by players capable of letting it fly from the perimeter, a trait Hood brings in spades. Hood was having an impressive outing before suffering the calf strain against Minnesota, tallying 20 points on 7-12 shooting in 24 minutes.
With Hood expected to be hampered by his calf for at least the immediate future, expect Joe Johnson, and maybe Alec Burks or Thabo Sefolosha to see slightly increased minutes until the Duke product returns to full health.
