Former NBA player and current ESPN analyst Stephen Jackson didn't hold anything back in his criticism of Cavaliers player Rodney Hood.
Appearing Friday morning on ESPN's "Get Up," Jackson commented on the report that Hood refused to come off the bench in garbage time against the Raptors in Game 4. His decision reportedly "damaged his relationship with those in the [Cavs] locker room."
CELTICS VS. CAVS: 2K18 predicts ECF
On Hood's decision, Jackson had this to say:
"He was over there pouting because he wasn't playing well, he wasn't getting the minutes he thought he deserved. But hey, when you don't play well, you sit on the bench. It was garbage minutes, he probably thinks he shouldn't have to play garbage minutes. But Rodney Hood, you are a garbage player on that team right now. You at the end of the bench because you're not playing well.
"You can't do that period, regardless of who you are. Rodney Hood, you haven't done enough in the league to do that. Go in the game and do what you're supposed to do."
CELTICS VS. CAVS: Previewing 2018 Eastern Conference Finals
As you can see in the clip above, Hood did apologize to his teammates. But as he said, they mostly just laughed at him, saying it wasn't as big as a deal as some of the other things that have happened this season.
"They was like, 'Hood, that's not really a distraction' because of everything that they've been through this year," Hood said. "So they all took light of it. They understand, so it wasn't anything really. ... I should have known because I didn't play throughout the duration of the game that it was gonna look bad, but it wasn't (as bad) as people was trying to make it. Next time I'm definitely going to go in. I apologized to T-Lue for any confusion and stuff like that but that's all it was."
Hood averaged 13 minutes in the first three games of the Toronto series after averaging 18.9 minutes against the Pacers in the first playoff series. He's struggled with his shot in the playoffs, making 19-of-48 (.396) from the field and shooting 2-of-15 (.133) from 3-point range.
He averaged nearly 15 points in the regular season, and is averaging just above six points so far in the playoffs.
