Rodney Hood was expected to be a key role player for the Cavaliers when Cleveland dealt for the 25-year-old forward at February’s NBA trade deadline.
But things don’t always go as planned.
After averaging a career-high 16.8 points per game through 39 games to start the season with the Utah Jazz, Hood’s production has considerably dipped in Cleveland. In fact, Hood has failed to see the court in six of the Cavaliers’ playoff games, including Thursday’s NBA Finals Game 1 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
That said, Hood’s tenure with the Cavs understandably has been tough, and being grouped into the intense spotlight that surrounds LeBron James hasn’t made it any easier.
“This is something different. It has been tough,” Hood told The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears. “The basketball stuff has been the easiest part. The stuff that comes out of it, you lose a game and everyone talks about it on TV the next day. They may say some things that you may not agree with. If you win a game, you’re supposed to. Those kind of things are something I kind of got on a much smaller scale and dealt with at Duke.
“You lose a game and you feel like the world is coming down. You win, it’s like, you’re supposed to win. It’s still a struggle to me to adapt to that.”
Hood will become a restricted free agent at season’s end, and given what’s transpired during his time in Cleveland, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the four-year veteran sign elsewhere this summer.
