It’s safe to say that Rodney Hood’s time as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers has been forgettable.

After getting off to a hot start by averaging what would have been a career-high 16.8 points in just 27.8 minutes per game over 39 contests with the Utah Jazz, he put up 10.8 points per contest in 21 regular-season contests for the Cavs after he was traded there on the day of the deadline.

However, Hood hasn’t been a part of coach Tyronn Lue’s postseason rotation, averaging just 4.4 points in 13.8 minutes over 15 contests.

Despite the fact that the Golden State Warriors like to play small, Hood didn’t see any time in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and played just four minutes in Game 2, both of which ended in Cleveland losses. Lue decided to go with Jordan Clarkson instead of Hood, a decision that ended up not working out.

Heading into Game 3 with a 2-0 deficit, the Cavaliers will apparently give Hood a chance to prove himself, most likely at the expense of Clarkson.

"We're going to give Rodney a chance," Lue told reporters on Tuesday, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. "He'll get a shot, and see how he does. He's been working, staying ready. So we'll see.”

Although that implies that Hood will see minutes, there’s no telling how much time he gets. 

What to expect

"I don't know when it's going to come or what stage of the game, but just being ready," Hood said Tuesday. "I've been preparing, I've been working hard, so if I get the opportunity, just go out there and play. Just have fun. … They put you in a lot of mismatch situations, and I'm a guy who can guard 1 through 4, really one through 5 with their group. And just try to cause havoc. Just try and be physical, I think that's the biggest thing T-Lue's been stressing to me once I got there.”

Despite the fact that Hood turned some heads after he refused to check into a game earlier in the playoffs, it appears as though his teammates and coaches still support him and have moved on from the incident.

"Just a lot of positive, my teammates have been real positive with me, just telling me to stay ready," Hood noted. "The coaching staff as well. Other guys around the league been talking to me, sending me messages and just telling me to stay ready, and if my number is called just play and have fun, don't put too much pressure on myself.”

Kevin Love is excited about Hood’s presumed presence on the floor in Game 3.

"He's very talented," Love said of Hood. "He's a guy that can step in and fill up a scoreboard. Left-handed. A little bit unorthodox in the way that he plays. Just having that height on him and that wingspan, and the ability to not only make shots, but on the defensive end to switch out. Also play a guy like KD at his size and just make it tough on both ends of the floor for their team. That gives all of us a lot of confidence that he can come in and make an impact.”

Hood is a legitimate three-point threat and will allow the Cavaliers offense to improve their spacing on the offensive end. As seen before, Hood can score in bunches if he heats up early. Therefore, Game 3 might depend on whether or not he can provide offense for Cleveland alongside James, Love and company.