Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 reasons to re-sign Rodney Hood
By Ryan Piers
2. Cleveland must play the lottery
By “lottery” we don’t mean tank next season and hope for a prized ping-pong ball. The Cavs made the decision to forgo full rebuild mode after booking Kevin Love for the next half-decade.
Cap-hampered Cleveland needs to play the lottery with its own prospects; take low-cost risks on its current players with the rare chance they become something special. Cleveland’s one sure thing is Kevin Love. Love will likely average at least 18 points and nine rebounds per game next year, be a solid team ambassador and give fans a reason to visit Quicken Loans Arena.
Collin Sexton’s game is steady and if NBA Summer League is any indication, he should be good. You know what you are getting in Tristan Thompson, but he may not be around in a couple seasons. Smith could retire before the year is over and no one would blink an eye.
Everyone else is a lottery ticket, a small investment in hopes of an unlikely, huge reward. The more times Cleveland plays, the more chances it has at booking a star. Out of all its young players, Hood may have the deepest floor, but the highest ceiling.
He’s a 6’8” wing with the ability shoot, defend and create his own offensive looks. His top career performance came last season, when he torched the New Orleans Pelicans for 30 points, drilling 12 of his 14 shots.
When Hood is on, his Kevin Durant-like length allows him to earn any shot he pleases. Like most NBA journeymen, he lacks consistency and a killer instinct.
If Hood finds both, the Cavs strike gold. Assuming Sexton pans out (and that’s a sizeable assumption) Hood could be that third star on Cleveland, arming the team with talent to take the East by storm. As they say with the power ball, “You can’t win if you don’t play.” Hood is a cheap scratch-off ticket at the gas station. Let’s hope he’s a winning number.