LeBron James finally has some help around him as his teammates have stepped up recently, playing key roles in the Cleveland Cavaliers sweeping the Toronto Raptors. However, that doesn’t mean everyone has stepped up their game.
One guy who hasn’t come to the party has been Rodney Hood who really struggled and it actually caused him to lose his spot in the rotation. That isn’t a surprise to everyone though, as one league executive texted Jason Lloyd of The Athletic saying Hood isn’t built for the playoffs.
When these playoffs began, an opposing executive texted me “(Hood) is not built for this,” meaning the postseason. Now we’re seeing why.
In the series, Hood played 39 minutes going 1-of-9 from the floor and scoring a total of two points. In Game 4, Cedi Osman was the one who took his place in the rotation. With the Cavaliers up big in the fourth quarter, coach Tyronn Lue tried to sub Hood into the game, but according to Lloyd, he refused to enter the game. The move frustrated his teammates and could be a story for the next few days.
“This is the playoffs,” an anonymous Cleveland player said. “We’re trying to win a championship. This isn’t about you.”
Hood is a good player, and the Cavaliers need him in the next series to not just play but perform at a higher level than he did against the Raptors. The Cavaliers’ motto this postseason is “Whatever It Takes” and so far Hood has not held up his end of that slogan.