Just a lot of work put in, where my first year I didn't get a chance to play a lot because of injuries, and this year, coming in, working with the coaches a lot (last) summer in Utah. I spent a lot of time with them, working on my footwork, working on just me as an all-around player, and I got better. I naturally got better. – Jazz guard Rodney Hood
SALT LAKE CITY — Some athletes take very gradual, baby steps in their steady progression toward someday, hopefully, becoming a star.
And then there are others who take giant strides forward, improving at such an impressive pace that it's almost surprising at times.
Yep, that's what Rodney Hood did this season.
The second-year Utah Jazz shooting guard made a huge leap forward during the 2015-16 campaign, raising his scoring average by nearly six points per game — from 8.7 to 14.5 ppg — while also improving in virtually every other statistical category except his 3-point shooting, which dipped ever so slightly.
The key, of course, was staying healthy, which in turn allowed him to spend a lot more time on the court — almost 11 more minutes a game — this year than last. He played in 79 games this season, and started in every one of ’em.
After all, Hood missed 32 games during his rookie season of 2014-15 while enduring a series of aggravating and painful injury issues with his feet.
But in his second season, his foot problems didn't flare up and he was able to flourish into one of the team's top players, finishing third on the squad in scoring — and 55th best in the league — while also contributing 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game.
Hood wound up finishing tied for 15th in voting for the league's Most Improved Player of the Year award. One of the other guys Hood was tied with was a guy you might have heard of — Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook.
Asked at season's end about his improved performance, Hood attributed it to hard work, better health and helpful coaches and teammates — all those things, plus a much-improved mental approach to the game.
"Just a lot of work put in, where my first year I didn't get a chance to play a lot because of injuries," he said, "and this year, coming in, working with the coaches a lot (last) summer in Utah. I spent a lot of time with them, working on my footwork, working on just me as an all-around player, and I got better. I naturally got better.
"And then this season, the guys on the team really helped me out a lot, you know, as far as mentally. I think that was one of biggest steps I had to take to become a better player — mentally. And Gordon (Hayward) and Book (Trevor Booker) and Fav (Derrick Favors) and all those guys really helped me a lot.
"And it just happened naturally on the court that I got better, because I was putting in a lot of work with the coaches this past offseason," Hood said.
Indeed, other than a short bout with a sore back in early March, Hood was in good health and in good form for most of his entire second season.
"I think it's just gone," he said of the problems he had with his feet during his rookie season. "I think the only way it affected me is that I just didn't play enough games my first year.
"And coming back this year and playing 79 games, it felt like my rookie season a little bit. But as far as the injury to my feet, knock on wood, I feel like that's in the past right now.
"For a few weeks, it was bothering me a lot," he said of his sore back. "But as the season went on, toward the end, I got better."
The 6-foot-8, 215-pound southpaw shooter scored a career-high 32 points in an overtime win over Memphis in early January. And in a superb stretch from Jan. 20 to Feb. 9, he scored 23 or more points seven times over a 10-game span.
Hood had 28 points in Utah's win over Cleveland in mid-March, and he scored 30 in the first half — on spectacular 11-of-13 shooting, hitting 8 of 9 from 3-point range — in a 48-point rout over the L.A. Lakers in late March.
Yes, to put it more succinctly, a healthy Hood was pretty darned good.
And there were nights when he was called upon to take the big shot down the stretch of a close contest. He didn't shy away from that challenging responsibility, either, although there were nights when he was unable to connect, such as a narrow early season setback against Golden State and a two-point, late-season loss to San Antonio.
In both of those instances, he missed a 3-point shot that would've given the Jazz the lead in the final few seconds of the game.
"A lot of the misses stayed with me," Hood admitted. "The one when we played Golden State here, I think that was big for my progression, because I could have easily went into a shell after that one and not took big shots.
"But my teammates and coaching staff have full confidence in me to take those, and I wound up making some later on in the season, which gave me a lot more confidence."
Of course there were also nights when he struggled with his shot, nights when he missed far too many attempts from the field and was a non-factor in the outcome.
Hood knows he needs to get to the foul line more often, especially after improving his free-throw shooting to a superb 86 percent this season. And he needs to get stronger to help him finish at the rim and improve his defensive performance,
"That's a big thing," Hood said of drawing fouls. "We talk about getting to the free-throw line. The big thing with that is I'm a two-foot jumper and I always try to be under control when I get into the lane, and most guys that get fouled, they take off on one foot — the James Hardens, the Kevin Durants, guys like that.
"So it's just about learning different footwork, that's the biggest thing. Me and Coach Quin (Snyder) talked about it in our meeting, just working on footwork so I can be a more efficient scorer when I'm not hitting shots.
"I mean, you just try and get stronger off one foot, being able to explode and get to the rim, things like that," he said. "I always try to be under control and get a shot off rather than looking for contact. And that comes along with being stronger as well."
Ah, yes, being stronger. Hood knows that's something he must do to become a better player on the defensive end of the floor, especially because one of his goals is to become an elite defensive player.
"I need to get stronger; get stronger, I think that's the biggest thing," Hood said. "Guarding guys in the post, being able to move side to side, you know, quicker. And I think just stamina. I had to learn on the fly how much of a toll it takes on your body. And some days you might be moving quicker than others.
"So I think it's a big focus, just strength, to get stronger this offseason.
"It's a goal for me to shoot over 40 percent from behind the arc one year, so that's definitely the bar as far as shooting the ball from behind the arc right now," he said. "And I've just got to get stronger so I can be more consistent doing that."
Much like the entire Jazz family, Hood was disappointed that a late-season swoon cost them a chance to participate in postseason play this year.
But he is confident that the best is yet to come for him and his young Jazz teammates.
"It's gonna be hard watching the playoffs and knowing we were in control in the later part of the season," Hood said at the team's locker-cleanout day. "But I think we got a great season, regardless of the end result.
"And I think people around the league — and we know — we'll be one of the powerhouses in the West for years to come. But it just hurts not to be in there right now."
Hood got an opportunity to play against one of his boyhood heroes, Kobe Bryant, in the last, amazing game of the Laker superstar's legendary career.
Asked if he had a chance to speak with Bryant after that incredible 60-point, career-capping night, Hood said: "No, but I saw him before the game in the back, and he just told me to keep working and I've got a bright future and things like that."
Yep, a bright future — after this past season, all of Jazz nation would definitely agree.
EMAIL: rhollis@desnews.com