Rodney Hood refused to come back in during the fourth quarter
Cavaliers guard Rodney Hood refused to come in for LeBron James during garbage time in their Game 4 victory against the Raptors. Is there a way that Hood’s behavior is justifiable?
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Toronto Raptors 128-93 in Game 4 on Monday to hand Toronto a sweep. The Raptors have been swept by the Cavs for the second consecutive year and it’s their third straight playoff exit at the hands of the Cavaliers.
While Cavs players appeared enthused, one player perhaps, was not. Cavaliers guard Rodney Hood reportedly refused to enter the game when the Cavaliers lead was safe. The reason, perhaps? Hood has been left out of the rotation. Hood has struggled this series and lost his spot to rookie Cedi Osman, as explained by Bleacher Report.
"According to The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd, Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue attempted to substitute Hood in for LeBron James with a 30-point lead with seven minutes, 38 seconds to play. However, the fourth-year player refused to enter the game, angering his teammates.“This is the playoffs,” an anonymous Cleveland player said. “We’re trying to win a championship. This isn’t about you.”Hood was the only guy not to play in Game 4."
Hood has been shooting under 40 percent from the field in the playoffs, and just 13.3 percent on 3-pointers. Falling out of the rotation seems like an obvious repercussion for his poor play.
While Hood maybe upset with losing his role, the Cavs are going to the Eastern Conference Finals as a four-seed. That’s a huge accomplishment. As the anonymous Cavs player stated, Hood must realize it isn’t about him, it’s about the team. Had Hood played in the final minutes, he could have changed Cavaliers head coach Ty Lue’s perception about him. Unfortunately, it perhaps hindered it for the long run. And that will be hard for Hood to change in the future.