Cleveland Cavaliers: Rodney Hood needs to find his rhythm in the last nine games

After the trade deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers had to refind their non-existent chemistry. From their recent additions, Rodney Hood seems to be the only one struggling in his new home.

As the Cleveland Cavaliers face nine more regular season games, it’ll be crucial for them to get one of their best scorers going. Rodney Hood, the 25-year-old traded to Cleveland from Utah, has dealt with both a back injury and the struggle of trying to fit in on a championship-caliber team.

For Hood, he’s been a ghost of the player that excelled for the Jazz this season.

Hood has gone from averaging 16.8 points per game to just 10.1. While that’s to be expected since he’s playing alongside two all-stars, his drop in three-point efficiency has been much more startling.

Rodney Hood, a lefty that came out of the University of Duke, was averaging a career-high 2.6 threes per game in Utah. He was also averaging an impressive 38.9% from downtown, also a career-high for Hood.

In Cleveland, Hood has not been that player. Hood hasn’t even averaged half of the threes per game that he did in Utah, cashing in on just 1.2 triples per game. Shooting 32.7% on those shots, Hood’s numbers have declined since arriving in the Land.

To be fair, Hood has shot almost 50% of his shots when he’s either tightly guarded or very tightly guarded, per NBA.com.

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The change in personnel might be the ultimate cause for Hood’s lack of significant contribution. However, with him potentially getting to start, Hood’s time to shine might be on the horizon.

For starters, Hood did put together his most complete game in the Cavs last outing against the Nets. He scored 16 points, shooting an efficient 6-of-12 from the field and 3-6 from downtown. He also chipped in three rebounds and three assists plus a steal and a block.

Hood has the physical makings of a star. He’s 6-foot-8 and lengthy, a trait that bodes well for him offensively and defensively. This season, Hood was finally starting to put it all together, yet with an upcoming free agency decision looming over him this offseason, it might have been a smart decision for the Jazz to part ways with the dynamic talent.

Now, as a Cleveland Cavaliers, Hood needs to find his niche. He needs to find what works best for him, especially playing alongside a ball-dominant superstar like LeBron James.

Does Hood become more of a spot-up shooter? He takes just over a third of his shots from spot ups.

Or, does Hood lead the second and become more of a playmaker, using his length to get to the rim with relative ease?

Let’s just say that moving forward Hood needs to find his rhythm. The Cavs have nine games until they begin their postseason quest for a second championship in three years. If this team is planning on taking down Golden State or Houston, they need significant contributions from just about every player, including Rodney Hood.

Hood, who has made the playoff just once before getting knocked out in the conference semifinals, must find his rhythm. He must return to the player he was in Utah.

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The only question is: will he?