Portland Trail Blazers: Rodney Hood Provides Spark

Rodney Hood has come alive in the last two games, shooting 54.2% on three-pointers while averaging 16 points in just 22.5 minutes. He’s a streaky shooter who can get hot quickly. Look for the Nuggets to actually game plan for Hood tonight. It is the responsibility of Coach Stotts to make adjustments and get Hood open looks. If Hood gets confidence early, Game 3 in Portland will be a blow out.

The Portland Trail Blazers head into Game 3 looking to take charge of the series. The dynamic backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum ‘only’ combined for 34 points in the Blazers Game 2 victory but Portland’s supporting cast showed up. Enes Kanter had 15 points and 9 rebounds while Al-Farouq Aminu chipped in with 11 points and Zack Collins added 10 points off the bench. The Blazers charged ahead once Rodney Hood (15 points, two 3-pointers, and three blocks) started to score. In order for them to take control of the series and advance to the next round, the Blazers need to get consistent production from Hood.

Hood has been a much-needed scoring punch the Blazers have severely lacked in previous years off the bench. A career 36% shooter from the perimeter, Hood provides someone who can stretch the defense and knock down jumpers. This allows the Blazers to give more rest to Lillard, or even play off the ball when they go small with McCollum, Lillard and Hood.

Hood’s struggles have been well documented. He joined the Cleveland Cavaliers last season and mostly watched from the bench as the LeBron James-led Cavs made it to the NBA Finals. Hood refused to enter a blow out game and fell out of coach Ty Lue’s rotation, racking up DNPs. When he did play, he looked timid on the floor, often deflecting to James as the Warriors practically dared him to shoot. In the playoffs last year, Hood shot a dismal 16.7% from long distance.

Hood has stepped up in the two games against the Denver Nuggets, shooting 54.2% on three-pointers in the Conference Semifinals. He is quietly averaging 16 points in just 22.5 minutes. The Blazers are a +1 with him on the court, as opposed to -6.6 when he is on the bench. More importantly, Hood looks like a man on a mission, he’s playing determined and aggressive. The Nuggets have to respect his jump shot and they are going to expend energy trying to keep Hood from getting hot. The key for Hood is to get confidence early in the game, he’s a streaky shooter who is capable of putting up big numbers fast when he nails his first couple jumpers.

The Blazers will look to take control of the series tonight back in Portland. Coach Terry Stotts has to anticipate the Nuggets have a defensive game plan on Hood when the Blazers go to their bench. Stotts needs to make the proper adjustments so Hood sees open shots early in the game. If he gets hot quickly, this series is over in five games.