Expectations for the Utah Jazz are mixed this season, in part due to the absence of Gordon Hayward and high-end offensive firepower.
While Utah can be relied on for quality defense and, by extension, a high floor, the ceiling for this team is very much up for debate given the concerns about putting the ball in the basket.
To that end, the team enters the 2017-2018 campaign heavily reliant on the production of young wing Rodney Hood, but on Friday evening, the 25-year-old had to be carried off the floor after suffering a lower leg injury.
Rodney Hood carried off the floor after stepping on KAT's foot on a screen pic.twitter.com/NkfPOrS9eA
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) October 21, 2017
There are no specifics, at least at this point, when it comes to a diagnosis for Hood, but any extended injury absence would be brutal for the Jazz. Hood isn’t the best player on Utah’s roster as long as Rudy Gobert exists, but in terms of offensive creation, he is easily the lead option on the wing, and it would not be a surprise in the slightest if the former Duke standout led the team in scoring this season.
Injuries are popping up all over the place in the NBA, and as a result, Hood may not garner a ton of buzz. Still, this would be a marked loss for the Jazz, and Salt Lake City has to be uneasy right now.
