King James Gospel
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Is Rodney Hood the next Victor Oladipo?

By Doug Patrick

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 27: Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers in Game Six of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 27: Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers in Game Six of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – APRIL 15: Rodney Hood
CLEVELAND, OH – APRIL 15: Rodney Hood /

“This is crazy. Hood will never turn into Oladipo!”

I understand where the negativity and disbelief is coming from. But if you’re a Cavs fan, it’s time to keep your chin up. Trust me.

The idea for this comparison blossomed from Joe Vardon’s “Hey, Joe!” column on Cleveland.com. Here, he answers fans’ questions about the Cavs.

One fan tweeted asking if the Cavs were negotiating with Rodney Hood, as he has still yet to sign.

Vardon answered:

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"“Yes, the Cavs are negotiating with Hood, beyond their $3.4 million qualifying offer. They’ve said all summer that Hood is a part of their long-term plans, so it would seem they intend to get something done beyond the QO, which if Hood takes then he becomes an unrestricted free agent next season. The Celtics just signed restricted free agent Marcus Smart to a four-year, $52 million deal.”"

The Cavs view Hood as a core piece to their rotation for both next year and the future. Like the Marcus Smart deal, the Cavs will try to lock Hood into a long-term deal in a dry market. If they signed him cheaply on a qualifying offer, they could swiftly lose him in unrestricted free agency next summer.

Hood is likely here to stay in Cleveland. Even after his post-season debacle, the team still believes in the 25-year-old forward.

Time will tell if they were right to trust him.

But for now, let’s be optimistic—like Joe Vardon.

When another fan asked how many games Vardon thought the Cavs would win next season, he didn’t name them future champions but he thought they could still be successful. He hinted that the extent of this success could rely on Hood’s performance.

Vardon answered:

"“You’re asking because Las Vegas sports books have the Cavs in the 26-27 win range for next season. Vegas had LeBron going to the Lakers, and the Raptors as the favorite to land Kawhi Leonard. So, the odds aren’t exactly in the Cavs’ favor here. The difference between total suckdom (I’d say 27 wins qualifies) and mid-40s with a playoff berth is Hood. If he breaks out like Victor Oladipo in Indiana or Donovan Mitchell in Utah last season, the Cavs can be better than people think. Hood averaged 16.8 ppg with the Jazz last season before he was traded here.”"

At the beginning of last year, Hood was having his best season with Utah. Starting from scratch in Cleveland this season could allow him to build on what worked for him through February.