With the Toronto Raptors officially trading away Norman Powell to the Portland Trail Blazers for a package headlined by 22-year-old guard Gary Trent Jr., it’s easy to forget that veteran forward Rodney Hood was also included in the deal.
Hood, a former first-round pick out of Duke, has seen his stock take a complete nosedive this season, as he averaged just 4.7 points per game on 36% shooting with the Blazers this season. With a team option worth eight figures next offseason, it’s fair to question how long he will be in Toronto, especially considering he suffered a torn Achilles last year
However, this season is the first time since 2015 that the 6-8 guard/forward combo has averaged less than 11.0 points per game or shot worse than 41% from the field. If he returns to his old form, he could finally give the Raptors a reliable perimeter scorer off of the bench.
Hood might not have had the best season so far, and expecting him to average double-digits might be a bit unrealistic considering the fact he will likely come off of the bench, but he has plenty to potentially offer Nick Nurse and the Raptors. Unfortunately, there are plenty of questions that he has to answer as it pertains to his health.
Toronto has traded Norm Powell to Portland for Gary Trent and Rodney Hood, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 25, 2021
Will Rodney Hood reach his full potential with the Toronto Raptors?
Hood was one of the few above-average scorers on some mid-2010s Utah Jazz teams that either narrowly missed the playoffs or were squashed when they did make it. He was easily the must-watch offensive piece on that team before Gordon Hayward truly blossomed, as his ability to shoot off the dribble and twist inside for easy shots at the rim against big men was fun to watch.
Even though his Cleveland Cavaliers tenure got off to a rocky start, Hood was able to put that behind him and regain his confidence alongside LeBron James and the rest of the Eastern Champions.
One of the biggest issues for the Raptors this season has been the lack of scoring off of the bench, especially from power forwards like Stanley Johnson and Yuta Watanabe. When OG Anunoby leaves the game, Toronto might as well have four guys on offense.
If he’s healthy, Hood will fill that role while giving Nurse the option to move to a wing or guard position in bigger lineups. Unfortunately, given how serious an Achilles injury can be, that is a huge question that he needs to answer, and a 25-game cameo this season might not be enough to put all the doubts to bed.
Pre-injury Hood was a lethal scorer, a versatile defender, and a shooter that can get hot in an instant. Toronto will have a lot of work to do if they want to bring his old form back into the picture.