Rodney Hood wants to be 'lethal weapon' for Jazz

With apologies to Martin Riggs, Roger Murtaugh, and Steve Blackman, there's a new Lethal Weapon.

Sophomore Rodney Hood wants to become just that this season, building on his late-season breakout to develop into a serious outside threat for the upstart Utah Jazz.

Speaking with James Herbert of Eye on Basketball, Hood reflected on his development and what comes next for a 22-year-old first-round pick:

I was just having fun. I was injured for a good part of the season. I just got a chance to finally play. Coach really had a lot of confidence in me, and I just went out there and played. A lot of things opened up, and I was just more aggressive.
...
My main focus right now is staying healthy. That's my biggest thing. And on the court, just continuing to be a lethal weapon as far as shooting the ball and finishing at the rim.

While his rookie numbers - 8.7 points on 41.4 percent shooting - don't necessarily jump off the page, he made great strides late in the season. He averaged 11.8 points in 24.1 minutes after the All-Star break, improving his efficiency a great deal under a heavier workload and knocking down 42 percent of his threes.

The health issue is an interesting point, as Hood was limited to 50 games as a freshman due to foot, stomach, and concussion issues. With Alec Burks set to return from shoulder surgery and fight to reclaim his role as starting shooting guard, Hood can ill-afford an injury setback that could cost him some momentum.

That's momentum, by the way, that has carried right from April on into July.

In Las Vegas for summer league this week, Hood did exactly what NBA teams hope for from their prospects: Look like he no longer belongs in those confines. He's scored 41 points with 15 rebounds and five assists over two games, shooting 54.8 percent overall despite a frigid 1-of-7 mark from outside.