Rodney Hood: ‘I’m looking forward to having my best year’

Cleveland Cavaliers swingman Rodney Hood believes next season will be a career-year.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Cleveland Cavaliers swingman Rodney Hood expects to have a career-year.

After re-signing with the Cavs on a one-year, $3.4 milllion deal (his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent), Hood told Charania “I’ve been working really hard this summer, improving my body and game. I’m excited to get back to work with my teammates, looking forward to having my best year and going back to the playoffs.”

There are three main elements of Hood’s statement that deserve an examination.

First, Hood says that he’s “been working really hard this summer, improving his body and his game.”

While offseason training isn’t unusual or unique in the least, there are definitely levels to the work a player puts into improving his game each summer. Since the start of the offseason, Hood has barely been visible save for an appearance at his basketball camp and a single workout video.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmhOO6Dn6EN/

That’s a great sign that Hood has truly been working hard this offseason.

As for what he’s been working on, the workout video posted by player development coach Kierre Jordan shows working on scoring off-the-dribble and Hood’s movements and handles were both quick and decisive.

Hood also looked bulkier than he was last season.

At 6-foot-8, Hood’s official weight is listed as 206 pounds.

Bulking up to around 225 pounds, which is shooting J.R. Smith’s official weight (and he’s a prototypical shooting guard size at 6-foot-6), may be a bit too drastic a change for Hood. However, gaining weight in general is important for Hood’s ability to score and maneuver through contact (not known as a strength of his) as well as improve anemic rebounding numbers (career average of 3.0 rebounds per game).

Piggybacking off of Hood stating that he’s been improving his body and game, the second element of Hood’s statement that’s particularly important is him saying that he’s “looking forward to having his best year.”

A sentiment shared by Cavs former general manager David Griffin is that “fans are going to see the best of” Hood next season.

Griffin believes that Hood’s improvements will be the result of not being on a team with a chaotic and championship-or-bust environment.

However, Hood’s stated improvements, determination to show the league his potential and the playmaking void left by LeBron James will be as much of the reason that Hood has a career-year as playing in a less stressful environment.

A player who has improved every season, Hood should be looking to average career-highs in nearly every statistical category but his career-high scoring average (14.7 points per game, last season), rebounding average (3.4 rebounds per game, twice) and field goal percentage (42.9 percent, last season) need to improve specifically.

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The last element of Hood’s statement that deserves examinations is that he’s looking forward to getting back to the playoffs next year.

While helping lead a team to a playoff berth is sure to change the opinion that Hood’s teams aren’t necessarily better with him, his ability to be a locker room leader with positive messages will be a sign that he’s becoming more mature.

Never known as a vocal leader in the NBA, Hood was a team captain at Duke University and it’s time he reprises that role with the Cleveland Cavaliers. With James gone, players need to step up and be leaders too; camaraderie, positive messages, a strong work ethic and a fiery competitive spirit go a long way towards that achieving that.

Hood could very well have his best season next season.