Jan 22, 2022; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Rodney Hood (5) brings the ball downcourt against the Sacramento Kings in the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
The Milwaukee Bucks need more from Rodney Hood: Valuable Rotation Piece
In the 2018 NBA draft, the Washington Wizards selected small forward, Troy Brown Jr. out of the University of Oregon with the 15th pick. When asked by the media why the team would use a first-round pick on a player who would be forced to compete for minutes with Kelly Oubre and Otto Porter Jr., head coach Scott Brooks replied (subscription required), “you can never have too many wings.”
This illustrates a valuable concept in the modern NBA. While point guards are expected to direct traffic on the offensive end and centers are expected to protect the rim on the defensive end, wing players are usually the most versatile players on the team and are assigned more tasks than other players on the roster. With that in mind, coaches know they are often interchangeable, thus giving the team flexibility with roster changes and lineups.
Rodney Hood has played both the shooting guard and small forward positions in his career. Although Milwaukee has talented players at these positions, some added depth could be just what the doctor ordered.
Last season, Donte DiVincenzo was injured early in the playoffs and was forced to miss the majority of the team’s postseason run. This year, he is back and slowly regaining his rhythm.
However, having Hood available to give him a breather is a luxury the team currently does not have. Hood’s play has been too inconsistent and they’ve been forced to go with the 35-year-old Wes Matthews instead.
At 29-years-old, Hood is still in his physical prime. If he were playing up to his potential he could sub in for Grayson Allen, Khris Middleton, or DiVincenzo when called upon. That is a luxury Coach Budenholzer would love to have.
Milwaukee Bucks are in desperate need of more production from Rodney Hood.</p>
<p>Back in 2020, a documentary was released about the most dominant basketball team of the 1990s – “The Last Dance.” <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/31/milwaukee-bucks-need-rodney-hood/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2020/04/29/the-last-dance-learned-eps-3-4-mj-doc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In one of the early episodes,</a> Michael Jordan is fuming while talking to reporters after the Chicago Bulls lost yet another road game early in the 1998 season. “We got killed on the glass tonight,” Jordan can be heard saying.</p>
<p>Everyone knew this was a subliminal message to Dennis Rodman. During the team’s last two championship runs, the power forward with dyed hair had led the league in rebounding and been a force on defense.</p>
<p>After Jordan called him out, Rodman returned to form and lived up to his nickname “The Worm.” He once again led the league in rebounding and the Bulls ultimately won another championship that season.</p>
<h2>Rodney Hood is getting little to no playing time for the Milwaukee Bucks. He is too talented of a player to be satisfied with that reality.</h2>
<p>Rodney Hood’s situation in Milwaukee isn’t nearly as dramatic, yet the comparison is a fair one. No matter how talented the superstar player is, basketball is a team sport and everyone must contribute for the team to be successful.</p>
<p>LeBron James is currently playing the best basketball we’ve ever seen from a 37-year-old. However, the news out of Los Angeles is about the Lakers racking up losses at an alarming rate. LeBron’s individual greatness is overshadowed by the team’s inconsistency.</p>
<p>Giannis Antetokounmpo is having another stellar season. However, it will take more than the “Greek Freak” living up to his nickname for the Bucks to make it out o the East once the playoffs start.</p>
<p>While he has fallen out of Coach Budenholzer’s rotation, Rodney Hood is a player who could earn back the trust of his team and become a valuable part of a winning culture. Let’s take a closer look at why the Bucks need more out than they’re currently getting out of Hood if they’re going to reach their full potential.</p>
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