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A lot of things are going right for the Utah Jazz right now. They are 34-22 overall and 5th place in the Western Conference standings, just half a game behind the 34-21 Los Angeles Clippers. Gordon Hayward has been named an All-Star and the team is trending upwards. Amid all that good news, there is a more immediate problem that the Jazz have to deal with, namely the absence of Rodney Hood, who is out indefinitely due to a bone contusion and Grade 1 LCL sprain in his right knee.
Hood is averaging 13.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game on 42.0% shooting from the field, 36.6% shooting from three-point range, and 75.3% shooting from the foul line. During his six game absence, the Jazz are just 3-3 and have lost 3 straight games, with their next game coming on Wednesday at home against the Trail Blazers. Hood is not expected to be back until after the All-Star break, which means that at a minimum he won't play on Wednesday. It is possible that he is back in time to play in the three-game road trip to Milwaukee, Washington, and Oklahoma City, but no guarantees.
Even though this Utah Jazz team revolves around Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert, they have a lot of really good players like George Hill, Derrick Favors, and Rodney Hood that are playing an integral role in their success. Without Hood, the Jazz lose one of their top shooters and they are already a team that struggles to create their own offense. Much like the Memphis Grizzlies, the Jazz win games primarily by defending and rebounding. Scoring is not their strong suit and so to lose one of their best shooters really hurts.
Hopefully for the Jazz, Rodney Hood will be back sooner than later. They are right in the mix for the 4th seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, which guarantees home court advantage in the first round. Getting that 4th seed will be pivotal to their postseason success and so they need to do all they can to get that spot. What makes the absence of Hood all the more concerning is the upcoming road trip to Milwaukee, Washington, and Oklahoma City. That's a road trip where the Jazz could easily drop two of three games. Especially if Hood is still out.
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