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Duke in the NBA: Rodney Hood’s Road to the NBA Finals

By Kevin Connelly

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 11: Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles during a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 11, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 11: Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles during a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 11, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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With the Cleveland Cavilers being in the NBA Finals four straight years, we have gotten used to seeing Duke in the NBA players in the Finals, but Rodney Hood is here for the first time.

Let’s just say it hasn’t been an easy road to the NBA Finals for Rodney Hood.

He started as a 6’7″, 190 pound small forward from Meridian, Mississippi.

Out of Meridian High School, Rodney Hood was ranked No. 31 in the ESPN 100. With interest from Alabama, Florida State, Louisville, Marquette, and Mississippi State, Hood opted to stay close to home and attend Mississippi State.

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In his freshman year at Mississippi State, Hood averaged 10.3 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. Hood shot 44.3% from the floor and 36.4% from three-point range.

The Bulldogs started out strong being ranked as high as No. 15 in the AP Poll, but struggling down the stretch Mississippi State finished the year 21-12 and 8-8 in the SEC, Hood and the Bulldogs missed the NCAA Tournament and lost in the 1st Round of the NIT. So, after his freshman year, Hood decided to transfer from Mississippi State.

After missing out on Hood out of high school Flordia State was back on Hood’s tail but so was Ohio State, Memphis, and Duke.

Hood said that it was a connection with Mike Krzyzewski that made him feel most comfortable at Duke.

Due to the NCAA transfer rules, Hood had to sit out the 2012-13 season where Duke lost in the Elite 8 to the eventual National Champions, the Louisville Cardinals, which was just recently vacated.

Hood was ready to go for the 2013-14 season and teaming up with Jabari Parker, the expectations were high for the Duke Blue Devils going into the season.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing with an early loss to Kansas in the Champions Classic and a loss to Arizona at Madison Square Garden, but it looked like Duke was finding its groove, but then ACC play hit and they stumbled again.

Duke dropped two of its first three ACC games before rattling off a five-game winning streak that ended in the Carrier Dome against Syracuse, a game that still gets Duke fans mad as Rodney Hood seemed to be fouled trying to throw down a dunk with Duke down by one with under 15 seconds left in overtime.

Syracuse went onto win by three but Hood and the Blue Devils would get revenge when the No. 1 Orange came into Cameron and Rodney Hood took a questionable charge call with C.J. Fair drove to the basket down two with under 12 seconds left.

Jim Boeheim went absolutely nuts and we’ll you know the rest.

Hood and the Blue Devils went all the way to the ACC Tournament Championship where they could not finish the deal and ended up losing to Virginia by nine.

Duke earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament but then a mind-blowing loss to Mercer in the Round of 64 ended the Blue Devils season way earlier than anticipated.

Hood would soon after declare for the NBA Draft, ending his Duke career averaging 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, shooting 46.4% from the floor and 42% from deep.

In the 2014 NBA Draft Hood was selected No. 23 overall by the Utah Jazz.

In his rookie year in Utah, Hood averaged 8.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, falling just shy of the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

The improvement from his rookie season to his sophomore campaign was sensational as Rodney Hood averaged 14.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game.

Knee injuries cut Hood’s third season in the NBA short, but he still finished with very respectable numbers putting up 12.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. Hood was able to return for the postseason as he averaged 8.9 points per game in his first ever NBA postseason.

As Gordon Hayward left Utah in free agency for Boston, someone needed to step up for the Jazz and take the reigns of the franchise.

Despite the emergence of stud rookie Donovan Mitchell, Hood was averaging 16.8 points per game in Utah.

The Cleveland Cavilers had a major purge on the day of the NBA Trade Deadline and in a three-team trade with the Jazz and the Sacramento Kings, Cleveland acquired Rodney Hood from Utah and George Hill from the Kings, sending Iman Shumpert to the Kings and Derrick Rose and Jae Crowder to the Jazz.

It hasn’t been easy for Hood in Cleveland.

In his 21 regular season games with the Cavs, he has averaged 10.8 points per game, but with the Cavilers bench not performing in the playoffs, Cavs Head Coach Ty Lue has yet to unleash Hood as he has only played in 11 playoff games with Cleveland, averaging 4.4 points per game.

Down 2-0 in the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors, Ty Lue said to the media on Tuesday that he will play Hood more in Game 3 on Wednesday. This opportunity could prove to be huge for Hood trying to help LeBron James get the Cavilers back in the series and someone Lue can trust coming off the bench.

It remains to be seen what lies ahead for Hood in this upcoming offseason, but these next few games can be huge for Hood in auditioning for other teams around the league while trying to help his team win an NBA Championship.

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