A feared scorer in Utah just a few months ago, Rodney Hood has spent much of the playoffs on the end of the Cavaliers’ bench, writes Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated. Hood was expected to boost Cleveland’s offense when he was acquired as part of a flurry of moves at the deadline. He raised hopes with a 15-point performance in his Cavs’ debut, but since then has struggled to fit in with his new team.
“This is my first time ever having DNPs in my life,” Hood said. “I look back at my Utah highlights on YouTube just to remind myself, ‘That was this year.'”
Hood’s numbers have nosedived in the postseason, where he is averaging 4.6 points per game, shooting 15.8% on 3-pointers and playing just 14.5 minutes per night. The Cavaliers will have a decision to make this summer on Hood, who will be a restricted free agent.
There’s more news out of Cleveland:
- For those looking for signs that LeBron James is ready to leave the Cavaliers again, Thursday’s Game 1 loss offered more evidence, writes Scott Stinson of The National Post. James’ exasperation with J.R. Smith after his mental mistake at the end of regulation and the abrupt way he left the post-game press conference can both be interpreted as growing frustration. Stinson suggests that James is more likely to head elsewhere in free agency if Cleveland can’t remain competitive for the rest of the Finals, but could be tempted to stay if it’s a close series.
- The Cavaliers have gone through massive roster turnover since their first Finals meeting with the Warriors in 2015, but they hope to draw on that experience tonight, relays Brian Windhorst of ESPN. “We were resilient, fought back and forced it to 1-1 back to Cleveland,” recalls Kevin Love, one of four Cavs left from that team. “We’re hoping to do the same. But we’ve got to come out really in those first five minutes [in Game 2] and show what we’re capable of and set the tone.”
- ESPN’s Kevin Pelton examines whether James makes his teammates better, charting the performance of many of the players who have been with him since he returned to Cleveland.
All this talk and watch him stay, Cavs in 7.
The major reason that he’s surrounded by average or below average players is because he keeps opting out of his contract so he can make more money. Every time he does that, there’s less to pay for his supporting cast. I’m not saying that he shouldn’t make whatever he can make, just that he can’t have it both ways.
I think his opting out has more to do with trying to keep management on their toes and giving him options than it has to do with being money hungry.
It has to do with his need for power and control. LeBron is a complete control freak, on and off the court. That’s why he often hand picks his coaches and his teammates, regatdless what bs is reported in the media..
LeBron wants to have full control. That’s why he often goes after guys he knows he can control and tell them what to do…
In terms of needing and having to feel like he has all the power, final say, and control, LeBron is basically the Jerry Jones of the NBA…
Name one Cavs player the FO acquired because James wanted him. Can’t. But yes I’m sure they talk to him occasionally.
OK. That could be true. But when has he opted out and then signed for less than the max? Or even just what he made the previous year?
No, LeBron has stated multiple times that he wants to be the highest paid athlete ever.
That’s not fair. Owners asked for a salary cap, not players. If the owner of the Cavs can’t find the cap space to pay both Lebron and good players, that’s his own fault. Players shouldn’t defer to the cap system that owners created to save money in the first place.
Hood is a pouter when he doesn’t get his playing time. Utah shipped him out as fast as they possibly could.
And he’s not good enough to play him major minutes. He’s going to have trouble finding a contract this summer you watch. Bad Apple.
There’s no evidence that he was disliked or a selfish player while in Utah.
That being said, YES, Hood made a mistake earlier but I really think Lue is doing the team an injustice by sticking with Smith this long and not getting Hood some PT time to see what he can do.
Smith is my guy but he has not been effective enough on defense to justify sticking with his poor shooting AND lack of confidence shown when passing the ball or wasted dribbling when he had wide open shots. He is a catch and shoot guy and several occasions he’s dried to, I guess, dribble penetrate and shoot or simply passed up the open shot. What Hood (6’8) might bring is more athleticism, better shooting and certainly more height and length on defense which might help when you have guys like Thompson (6’7) and Livingston (6’7) who can shoot over the 6’5 Smith and are better off the dribble than Smith,
Osman is quicker to act and react than Hood is. Hood is soft & needs managed, so is not a fit on the Cavs.
Smith is trying harder than ever but does not have good anticipation on defense, and focussing so hard on D has hurt his offensive threat.
IMO– when Smith got overpaid after the title, it was because he agreed to become a stopper in between James and Irving. But, he is not smart enough to accomplish that. Well one more year for him and Hill.
Hill can learn a team & get better…
That being said, I think James should take into consideration that Smith and Thompson own the worst contracts on the roster right now and part of the reason why they Cavs felt compelled to make those deals were in VERY large part because LBJ wanted them to stay, publicly stated his frustration about their deals be delayed and, oh yeah, because they all share the same sports agent Rich Paul who is one of LBJ’s best friends and partner in other businesses.
In both negotiations, there didn’t appear to be any other suitors offering whatever the Cavs had on the table but because of vocal support made by LBJ the Cavs upped offers time after time competing against themselves.
In fact, I feel like owner Gilbert, despite his emotional self, gets a raw deal when people blame him for lack of roster flexibility. He made a promise to LB upon his return to never let finances get in the way of efforts to keep and bring in talent. Smith, Thompson and Korver are all examples of him bringing back the players LBJ explicitly wanted retained. Aside from the Kyrie trade and Gibson firing, Gilbert has been in lock step with almost every roster move and draft pick.
Thing is I still feel like LeBron would be better off staying. Cleveland will stay competitive every year if he stays. Hill is a fine point guard, Love can put up All-Star Numbers, and Tristan Thompson turns into a good starter every postseason. The question is who can help at the 2 spot (because JR is heading for a decline) and who can help on the bench. I think if they can get a quality 2 guard and more bench help, LeBron might just stay in Cleveland.
Why does people even bother to criticize Lebron, come on man without him this team would be the worst in the east, so of course the team have to listen to what he wants, but you cannot blame him, as been reported is no reason why Cleveland can spend more money, you see every playoff home game is +3MM $ & finals 10-11MM $, so Cleveland could be making 50-60MM $ in this playoffs alone, so no reason to not go deeper in to the luxury tax, & I wouldn’t even know how much they make in the RS (all that is only in tickets & food & other arena revenues) & then is sponsors, tv… so this teams make too much money, so please invested back on the players, that by the way they are the whole point of it, because many people only cares for Cleveland thanks to Lebron & so is for many other teams.
I feel like you can’t use Lebrons frustration with JR and game 1 as evidence that he wants out. Any person would be frustrated at that incredible mishap.
Hood DNP. That’s because Screwy Lue doesn’t know how to set rotations and who to play. Game 1…overtime Cavs down by 7….Korver on the bench….their best 3 point shooter. Bad coaching.
So how many phone privilege hours do you get in in the institute. Or do you hide your device in a wall?