Cleveland Cavaliers: Rodney Hood to get playing time in Game 3

It has been a tough tenure for Rodney Hood since he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Will he make an impact in Game 3 of the 2018 NBA Finals?

It has been a rocky tenure for Rodney Hood since he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He hasn’t seen much playing time in the entire postseason. In 15 games, Hood has played a total of 208 minutes. He played 277 minutes in 11 games with the Utah Jazz in the playoffs last season.

The reason? He’s been…disappointing.

When Hood got traded to the Cavaliers, he was expected to be an offensive threat, and another shooter that could spread the floor. However, he’s turned into a shy, indecisive shooter who at times looks like he’s never played basketball in his life before.

He’s passed up open looks, lacks aggression with dribble penetration, and doesn’t play any defense.

Many fans thought that he would be the Cavs’ version of Klay Thompson, especially with the picture perfect rotation of the ball when he shoots.

Hood’s game is predicated on ball movement and cuts. He’s similar to Kyle Korver, only he has the athleticism and length to go to the hole and take defenders off the dribble.

Unfortunately, just like Korver, he might need a full training camp under the “system” of coach Tyronn Lue to adapt to the spacing. There’s a huge difference between playing with LeBron James and Ricky Rubio.

Since the Game 4 incident against the Toronto Raptors where he refused to go into the game at garbage time, it’s been all bad for Hood.

He just doesn’t know where he fits in on the team, and it’s frustrating. It’s gotten so bad for him, it’s started to affect him mentally.

According to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, Hood has struggled to build any chemistry with the team and James. He’s even watched videos of himself playing with the Jazz to remind him of what he can do on the court.

Yes, it’s at that point.

Hood also mentioned how he’s not used to DNP-CDs (Did Not Play – Coach’s Decision). NBA fans know what he can do, but it just hasn’t worked out with the Cavaliers.

"“I was playing at such a high clip when I got traded,” Hood said. “And then, this is my first time having DNPs in life. The first time shooting two times or five times in a game. Having to adjust is the toughest part. It’s a part of my growth. I’m not going to always be in this state.”“I was playing at such a high clip when I got traded,” Hood said. “And then, this is my first time having DNPs in life. The first time shooting two times or five times in a game. Having to adjust is the toughest part. It’s a part of my growth. I’m not going to always be in this state.”"

He will get another chance to redeem himself on Wednesday, and make an impact for the squad.

The struggles of Jordan Clarkson, J.R. Smith and Jeff Green — along with being down 0-2 in the 2018 NBA Finals — has opened up a chance for him to prove his worth.

Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports that Lue will switch up the rotations on Wednesday, and give Hood significant minutes. This could potentially include more playing time for Cedi Osman and Jose Calderon.

This move just isn’t to help the team, but it’s being made to restore the confidence of Hood.

He’s likely thinking way too much about things instead of just going out there and playing his game. Instead of him worrying about James passing him the ball, he should demand it and get his.

He needs to go out there on the court and show why he was such a dangerous threat for opposing defenders in Utah.

If he does those things consistently in this series, he could be the missing piece the Cavs need to give the Golden State Warriors all they want. They’re not invincible.

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Here’s hoping he can make himself, the Cavaliers and Cleveland fans proud at home in Game 3.