The Cavs guard says it was his decision not to play, but it was an effort to give Jose Calderon more minutes, not out of frustration.
The Cavaliers season has been defined by drama, from Kyrie Irving’s trade request in the offseason through getting taken to the brink in a seven-game series by the Pacers. However, the second round series with the Raptors saw the Cavs face almost no real adversity or apparent internal issues for the first time really all season.
The four-game sweep of Toronto had a familiar feel from years past and featured not only monster performances from LeBron James, but the best efforts from Kevin Love, Kyle Korver, J. R. Smith, and other role players in recent memory. However, even in a dominating Game 4 blowout of the Raptors, the Cavs couldn’t fully escape without some minor controversy.
It was reported after Game 4 that Rodney Hood, who fell out of the rotation, refused to check in for the Cavs in garbage time. It was later reported Hood wouldn’t be disciplined for his decision not to play, which seemed curious, but after Hood addressed the issue with the media on Thursday, it became apparent it wasn’t as big of a deal as it initially seemed.
