Duke basketball standout ready to shift focus back to court after offseason
A former Duke basketball standout is ready to shift his focus back to the court following his eventful offseason.
The end of December was heartbreaking for former Duke basketball standout Rodney Hood as he ruptured his Achilles weeks into the 2020-21 NBA season.
Hood immediately underwent surgery and began his recovery. He was bought some time with the pandemic as the remainder of the 2020-21 season was pushed back, as was the 2021-22 campaign.
Through his rehab and the shutdown of the league, Hood returned to Duke (virtually) to complete his degree as his future hung in the balance, trying to return from such a devastating injury.
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Not to make things worse for the former Blue Devil, but he was dealing with an impending decision on a player option, which was surprisingly declined by Hood at the start of free agency.
Free agent F Rodney Hood is returning to the Portland Trail Blazers on a two-year, $21M deal, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2020
Despite the opt-out, the Portland Trail Blazers were not about to let their key role player walk out the door of their facility as Hood was able to re-sign with the franchise for a two-year, $21 million contract.
The Duke basketball product has a chance to make the NBA Finals
The consensus is that the Los Angeles Lakers will emerge once more out of the Western Conference and defend their NBA Championship following the excellent offseason the franchise has put together.
However, the Trail Blazers, who struggled last season before the shutdown, made a surge in the NBA Bubble but were bounced by the Lakers in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs.
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Following a season in which Portland advanced to the Western Conference Finals, the offseason acquisitions and additions could prove to be beneficial for the team in jumping to the top of the West and challenging Los Angeles.
Rodney Hood still has to prove himself on the court following his injury, but it seems like the Blue Devil has found a home in Portland and will be eager to get back to work.
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