Dec 19, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Jabari Parker (1) celebrates with Duke Blue Devils forward Rodney Hood (5) after scoring against the UCLA Bruins during the second half at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils won 80-63. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
We’ve discussed some of the prospects the Sixers might grab with their first lottery pick, now let’s discuss some of the players that might be available with the Sixers second lottery pick from the Pelicans. Remember this pick is top five protected until 2020. However, I don’t see this being a problem this season, unless the basketball gods hate us. Which they might, but whatever.
Rodney Hood is a sophomore forward for the Duke Blue Devils. This season, he’s averaging 18.5 points 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Hood is shooting 53 percent from the field and 47 percent from deep. Hood is taking 4.4 three-pointers per game, so his high percentage from deep is no fluke. Hood can come in an immediately stretch the floor and add a shooter that the Sixers do not currently have.
Rodney Hood is a lanky 6-8, 200 lb forward. He doesn’t possess great athleticism or quickness and he tends to rely on his jump shot more than any part of his game. Even with Jabari Parker having the majority of the spotlight, Rodney Hood has still been able to carve out an important role with the Blue Devils. Hood has eight games this season where he has shot 50 percent or better from three-point range. His best performance from deep came on January 7th, where Hood went 5-7 from deep in a victory against Georgia Tech. Hood had 27 points and six rebounds in this game.
Hood has seven performances scoring 20 points or more this season, including a season high 30 points on 8-10 shooting in a victory against East Carolina on November 19th.
The bread and butter of Hoods game is his mid-range shot, he’s shooting 57 percent on two-pointers this season. His offensive game is well developed, which should bode well for his draft status. The Sixers should be high on Hood, who has the ability to create his own shot and score when he likes. This is something that is obviously missing from the Sixers this season and something they should look to solve in this draft. Whether Hood can play the wing or the two guard position, his scoring will be welcomed in Philadelphia.
Rodney Hood can also use his shooting ability to take opponents off the ball and drive to the lane. If Hood can get his jumper working in a game, then he will be virtually unstoppable.
The NCAA season is still premature and there is plenty of game action left in the season. Hood is already impressing scouts this season and he’s climbed up most draft boards to be around the No. 12 to No. 15 range right now. Jabari Parker has garnered all the hype at Duke this season, but people are noticing Hood’s excellent play.
Hood is an excellent fit on the Sixers. Philadelphia is in need of a scorer, no matter what position. Hood is playing the three right now, but he can easily be positioned into the shooting guard position if necessary. A lot of this depends on what happens with the Sixers first lottery pick. Hood will be a fit with almost every pick (Parker, Embiid, Randle, Exum, etc). If the Sixers land Wiggins, then Hood can slide into the shooting guard position, like I said.
Is it possible that the Sixers could team up Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood again? You would have to imagine that the two already have a great deal of chemistry that would translate right over to the NBA level in Philadelphia. If the Sixers land Jabari Parker, then Rodney Hood should be a no brainer. Hood has already shown the ability to play with Parker and has been able to play a secondary role next to a superstar in Parker.
For the Sixers first lottery pick, they should take the best player available. With this second pick, the Sixers should be targetting a shooting guard. If Rodney Hood keeps up his superb play with Duke this season, don’t be surprised if the Sixers grab Rodney Hood in the draft.