INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- The 2017-18 regular season began exactly the way Rodney Hood envisioned.
His fourth season in Utah, the swingman was thrust into a bigger role. Expected to help fill the void after Gordon Hayward's departure, Hood was about to get every crack at solidifying his spot in Utah's long-term plans and earning the robust contract he had been working toward for years. It was also the perfect platform to rebound from a postseason flop.
Months later, the ground beneath him started to shake and he could never regain his footing.
"It started off as one of my better seasons since I've been in the league and then in the playoffs not playing for the first time, getting DNPs, not playing to my full potential and trying to figure everything out, it was just tough," Hood told cleveland.