The Triple Team: Three thoughts on Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs 7/7/15


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SALT LAKE CITY — Welcome to the Triple Team! After every game, I'll break down three topics from that night's game, flush with stats, highlights, quotes, and more. Let's get started.

1. Rodney Hood still has it

Rodney Hood was again the Jazz's best player tonight, scoring 18 points overall, but 12 in the second half. It was a 14-5 run that stole the lead from the Spurs from the 4th quarter, and then the Jazz held on with good defense despite not scoring in the game's final 2:30.

Hood is now leading the Utah Jazz Summer League in scoring, by virtue of being one player in this summer league that has had a good game in both sides of the back-to-back.

That's an impressive skill for a youngster, and while we won't know how well Marcus Smart would have played had he not rested tonight, it's good to see Hood deal with the fatigue well.

"I talk about the team coming back and fighting through the fatigue and everything," coach Alex Jensen said after the game, "but especially [Rodney]. He had a rough first half, but you keep driving and pushing and he carried us in the end."

Hood's game got some national attention from writers as well:

Rodney Hood's game is so smooth. — Kevin Pelton (@kpelton) July 8, 2015

> Yup, leading tonight's summer league notebook post with Rodney Hood. He probably should not be playing on this level. > > — Sam Vecenie (@Sam\_Vecenie) [July 8, 2015](https://twitter.com/Sam_Vecenie/status/618611736355061760)

For his part, Hood's putting the work in. In fact, coaches have had to force him to take a break from practicing at the Jazz's practice facility, insisting to him that he'll need the rest.

The Jazz's belief in Hood is the number one reason why they didn't chase after any wing free agents this summer. Now, it's up to Hood to live up to that faith.

2. Scoring in college doesn't always translate

Three of the top scoring guards in college basketball last year are playing in the Utah Jazz Summer League: R.J. Hunter, Olivier Hanlan, and Marcus Thornton all averaged over 19 points per game in their respective small schools.

And all of them are struggling. Jazzman Olivier Hanlan has gone 1-7 in his 30 minutes of play, and has only added 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Not great.

For the Boston Celtics, Marcus Thornton has shot just 2-12 in his 27 minutes, and added just 3 rebounds and 0 assists. And R.J. Hunter has played the worst of all: in 38 mintues of play, he's scored exactly 0 points, on 0-8 shooting, while getting only 5 rebounds and just 1 assist.

Look, it is just summer league. But summer league turns out to correlate reasonably well to NBA success, and certainly, massively disappointing (a collective 3-27 certainly qualifies) is a bad sign.

I asked Rodney Hood what advice he would give to guys like Hanlan, who have struggled in the first couple of games as they get used to the new level.

"Just relax and play. Everyone's on this level for a reason. I've been working with Olivier. Just relax and have fun. It's so tense, you get one opportunity, but you've just got to relax and have fun, and everything will fall where it falls."

All three of those players are better than to shoot 3-27, in any context. Maybe relaxing will help some of their shots fall.

3. Alec Burks vs. Rudy Gobert on Twitter

In the 2nd half of tonight's game, Jazz guard Alec Burks took over the Utah Jazz's Twitter account. There was one question, specifically, that caused an uproar among Alec and his teammates. For those unfamiliar with Twitter, Alec's responses are from the account labeled "Utah Jazz".

@utahjazz Who would in a Jazz only Dunk Contest? And have you ever posterized Rudy in practice? — Marcus Sandurn (@MboySandurn) July 8, 2015

> Yea i have ask him [\#ReturnofAB](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ReturnofAB?src=hash) > > — Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) [July 8, 2015](https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/618604995168985088)

> Hey [@rudygobert27](https://twitter.com/rudygobert27) your boi [@AlecBurks10](https://twitter.com/AlecBurks10) is saying he posterized you in practice. Is that true? > > — Jonathan Turnbow (@Turnbow\_JT) [July 8, 2015](https://twitter.com/Turnbow_JT/status/618605457268039680)

> No. Everyday talking about it before practice but never seen it.. > > — rudy gobert (@rudygobert27) [July 8, 2015](https://twitter.com/rudygobert27/status/618606189492842496)

> Look for me in the sky next time [\#ReturnofAB](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ReturnofAB?src=hash) [@rudygobert27](https://twitter.com/rudygobert27) > > — Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) [July 8, 2015](https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/618606879778992128)

> Are you gonna try to dunk on Rudy this year or are you gonna be scared like the last 2? [\#fromafan](https://twitter.com/hashtag/fromafan?src=hash) [\#thereturnofAB](https://twitter.com/hashtag/thereturnofAB?src=hash) [@utahjazz](https://twitter.com/utahjazz) > > — rudy gobert (@rudygobert27) [July 8, 2015](https://twitter.com/rudygobert27/status/618607297183490050)

> I don't have a scared bone in my body [\#ReturnofAB](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ReturnofAB?src=hash) [@rudygobert27](https://twitter.com/rudygobert27) > > — Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) [July 8, 2015](https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/618607539073220608)

That's some pretty solid back-and-forth on social media from two starters on this young Jazz team.

Rodney Hood was excited to see the result of the battle as well. After the game, I asked about who would win if Burks tried to dunk on Gobert.

"I don't know!", Hood said. "That'd be a sight to see. We'll see that in practice one day."

It's good to see the Jazz have such good chemistry, online or offline.

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Andy Larsen

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