Utah Jazz: Jae Crowder making it easy to not miss Rodney Hood

Although the Utah Jazz were forced to part with a solid player when they dealt Rodney Hood, newcomer Jae Crowder has made it easy to move on.

For quite a while leading up to the 2018 NBA trade deadline, the Utah Jazz were expected to do big things. When all was finally said and done, though, they ended up really making just one savvy move. It included shipping off Joe Johnson so the aging veteran that no longer fit Utah’s timeline could finish his career with a potential title contender as well as trading away Rodney Hood, whose long-term fit with Utah also was in question, for a guy the Jazz had been eyeing for a while in Jae Crowder.

On the surface, this wasn’t a crazy trade that was going to instantly elevate the Jazz to the upper echelons of the NBA by any means. In fact, some were disappointed that Utah was willing to give up a young, high-potential shooter such as Rodney for what some perceived as too little. Regardless of any differing opinions on Crowder’s value, though, coming into the trade, Crowder had all the appearance of fitting Utah like a glove with his style, skill set and demeanor both on and off the court.

And 11 games in, such has been exactly the case.

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Jae Crowder has looked like an entirely different player than he did in Cleveland as he’s quickly worked his way into becoming a key piece of this Jazz team off the bench. Although his overall shooting figures since joining the Jazz (39.4 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from deep) leave something to be desired, he’s played with energy and confidence, and has been an overwhelming positive for Utah.

And take away a couple of bad games he’s had while assimilating to a new Jazz team, and Crowder’s numbers are even better. 11 contests is a small sample size and I predict that by the end of the season, his shooting splits will even out and look much better than they do now, especially considering that on many occasions, he’s been lights out and has come up big for the Jazz.

He’s averaging 13.5 points per game, making him the team’s second leading scorer and the leading scorer off the bench, and has been absolutely sensational in Utah’s last two contests where he’s averaged 19 points on 56 percent shooting from the field and 47.1 percent shooting from deep. He’s an astounding +14.5 in those two games and is averaging a plus/minus of +4.5 with the Jazz. For comparison, he was -2.2 as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

And while many Jazz fans were sad to see Rodney Hood go after playing well for the Jazz on many occasions and having several big and memorable moments, Crowder’s play and fit with the team so far have made the blow of losing Hood pretty easy to bear.

In fact, I’d go as far as to say that the addition of Crowder has made it so the Jazz really don’t miss Hood at all.

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That isn’t to say that Hood isn’t a good player and can’t thrive in a new role in Cleveland. But as far as fit goes, it’s apparent that Crowder is more of the mold of what Utah was looking for both for this season and the future.

In just 10 games coming into Friday’s slate of NBA action, it hasn’t exactly been easy-going for Hood in Cleveland as he’s averaging just 11.2 points per game (down from 16.8 in Utah), is shooting right around the same field goal percentage at 42.3 percent and holds a discouraging three-point percentage of 33.3 percent (compared to 38.9 percent in Utah).

He is a +1.8 in Cleveland compared to a -2.2 in Utah, which is a good sign for him, but could also be a byproduct of playing alongside LeBron James.

And Hood has had a number of the kind of games that used to irk Jazz fans while he’s been a member of the Cavs, including a 3-of-9 from the field and 0-of-4 from deep performance in a loss to Denver and a 5-of-14 from the field and 1-of-5 from deep outing in a loss to Philadelphia, to name a couple.

Of course, as I mentioned, Crowder has had some horrible shooting games with the Jazz as well, such as an atrocious 1-of-9 night in Utah’s recent win against Orlando. But the difference is that even when Crowder’s shot isn’t falling, he gives his team so much more than Hood would on his off nights. His most notable impact comes on defense, but he’s also more active on both ends of the floor and finds several other ways to contribute with or without the ball.

In his short time in Utah, Crowder has already endeared himself to the fans and his teammates as he proves that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to will his team to victory. While there’s several other factors in play here besides just the individual efforts of these two guys, I still don’t think it’s any coincidence that the Jazz are 9-2 with Crowder, while they were 16-23 with Rodney Hood.

Next: Utah Jazz: Can Rudy Gobert stifle Marc Gasol, Memphis?

In short, trades are always somewhat nerve-wracking, especially when giving up a talented player of Hood’s caliber, because you never know exactly what you’ll be getting in return. So far, though, Crowder has been nothing short of exactly what the Jazz have needed as they aim to stay alive in the playoff race.

Hood could very well blossom into a formidable force that helps drive a deep playoff run for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, and this trade could end up being a major win-win for both sides. While that remains to be seen, one thing is certain, though – Crowder’s play with the Jazz has made it pretty easy to move on from Rodney Hood.