The Cleveland Cavaliers are searching for answers as a team, but individual players are starting to emerge, and let’s not dismiss the improved play of Rodney Hood, either.
At first glance, it seems as though Rodney Hood has been around for so long already. He’s just approaching his prime in his fifth season at 26 years old, and he’s starting to get back to his Utah Jazz ways as a quality secondary scoring option on the wing. As we’ve often touched on here at KJG (especially past site co-editor Quenton Albertie), Hood’s fit on the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James on the roster wasn’t as natural. Now with this team shifting more toward player development and a more movement-driven offense, Hood is starting to resemble his former self in Utah, where he was a balanced scorer.
Hood is putting up 12.9 points on 44.6 percent shooting and 2.2 assists in 26.6 minutes per game this season. Those don’t look like world-beating statistics, no, but Hood is starting to look more comfortable in the flow of Cleveland’s offense, as a cutter, pick-and-roll scorer and transition threat. I don’t love the fact that Hood is opting for what would be a career-high in mid-range shots (according to Basketball Reference), but him beginning the year shooting 54.3 percent on shots 16 feet to the three-point arc (on a frequency of 23.6 percent) is very impressive.
His wingspan at 6-foot-9 and capable handle is enabling him to make quick, decisive moves that often result in automatic shots for him. When playing alongside James for a few months last year, he was not decisive in getting to his spots, and this season (once again, I don’t love the frequency of mid-range shots, but if it’s in rhythm, it’s in rhythm) he’s been more aggressive in dictating to opponents.
It is very early in the season obviously, but Hood currently placing in the 94th percentile among pick-and-roll ball-handling scorers (per Synergy Sports Technology) on a frequency of 30.6 percent is pretty darn good.Working in lineups with Collin Sexton as the starter could really bring out the best in Hood going forward with Sexton constant pressure on the opposing defense.
In addition, Hood seems to be getting even more comfortable after getting hand-offs from Tristan Thompson and Larry Nance Jr., who are both very good screeners for perimeter shooters. He showed plenty of attacking off the bounce against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night, finishing with 16 points.
When Cedi Osman gets healthier and is forcing it a bit less, and Kevin Love comes back into the fold for Cleveland, Hood’s catch-and-shoot acumen should be more prevalent for the Cleveland Cavaliers. With their barrage of injuries right now, it’s been harder for Hood to get open looks, but he’s making do in the mean time. If Sexton can find a way to get Hood the ball in spot-up situations after penetration, the Cavs would be in good shape.
Hood has an effective field goal percentage of 63.5 percent on catch-and-shoot looks this season, per NBA.com. He’s passing too many up, yes, but that can be corrected. Nonetheless, Sexton and Osman will have better chemistry with Hood as the year progresses, and with the extra attention drawn to Love when he’s on the floor, Hood’s three-point attempts should increase.
To make up for Hood having a career-low three-point rate, though, he’s getting to the free throw line at a career-high rate of 25.0 percent (and he’s hitting 94.6 percent of those, per Basketball Reference). That’s the main reason he has a solid (and on track for tying a career-high) true shooting rate of 55.1 percent.
If Hood can improve his off-ball defense (his on-ball defense has been better thus far), it’d go a long way for Cleveland, but overall, his game is coming along.
With Cleveland putting more pressure on opposing defenses with Collin Sexton playing with the starters (in addition to having in David Nwaba playing a small-ball 4), it’s seemed to have reinvigorated Rodney Hood, and the Cavs have been better off for it. It’ll be interesting to watch his continued growth as a ball-handler and playmaker.