The Downbeat: Rodney Hood prepares for a monster season

One of the biggest question marks approaching this 2017-18 season for the Utah Jazz is how Rodney Hood will perform. He’s shown flashes of brilliance throughout his NBA career, but also shows tendencies similar to that of a streaky shooter. If there is one thing the Jazz need this season, it’s a monster contribution from Rodney Hood.

Part of Gordon Hayward’s improvement and development as an NBA player should be given to Jazz assistant coach Johnnie Bryant. Bryant worked with Hayward during several off seasons and helped him a long his way to an NBA All-Star. With Hayward long gone, Hood is the man the Jazz are calling upon to attempt to fill those shoes, and is receiving help from the same man that made Gordon Hayward.

This is good news for Jazz fans, as skill development is something NBA players can’t get enough of at any point in their careers. Hood working with Bryant will hopefully yield similar results to those of Gordon Hayward, and Hood will be able to take it to the next level offensively for the Jazz this season.

Another intriguing piece of Rodney Hood’s upcoming season is based on the fact that he approaches a “contract season” and his a free agent next summer. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders took a look at several members of the 2014 draft class, and how the upcoming season will affect their futures on their current teams.

Sources close to the situation said recently that Hood and his camp are very open to an extension. While Hood is expected to play a bigger role sans Hayward, there is a window over the next two months to lock Hood into a deal that might make more sense for the Jazz today than waiting until next July.

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There seems to be at least a willingness on Hood’s side to get an early extension done; we’ll see if the Jazz feels the same way.

If you felt a fresh change in the air recently, there is a perfectly good explanation, backed by science of course. JOE INGLES IS ON HIS WAY BACK TO UTAH.

Utah will be thrilled to see you back, Joe.

David Locke and Josh Lloyd take a look at the Utah Jazz in a 2017-18 preview, but that is not the point of this downbeat item. The point is the beauty of Ricky Rubio, in all his glory. So please, enjoy both if you prefer.

There was once talks of Derrick Favors sneaking his way into the NBA All-Star lineup. Yes, those talks may be aged one or two years, but Favors made it clear on Twitter this week that an appearance still “wouldn’t be crazy at all”.

All would be right in the world if D-Faves was able to get back to 100%, because everyone knows the beast that he is and that it really wouldn’t be that crazy to see him make an All-Star game yet to come in his career.