Rodney Hood’s importance just increased mightily for the Milwaukee Bucks

It was easy to see why the Milwaukee Bucks signed veteran swingman Rodney Hood to a deal in free agency this past offseason.

Although he was coming off the worst statistical season of his career, Hood had the potential to be a solid addition for the defending champs after losing players like Bryn Forbes and PJ Tucker. Hood has earned his keep in the NBA as a second-unit scorer, and the Bucks made the low-risk decision to bring him in on a team-friendly deal with hopes that he could regain his footing.

Unfortunately, Hood has not exactly been impressive to start the season. The 29-year-old forward is averaging just 3.7 points while shooting 32.4 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from three in 14.5 minutes per game. He has battled through some injury woes early on as well, hindering his availability as he has only played in 11 games. He has not exactly made a strong first impression in Milwaukee, but the veteran has a chance to turn things around as he might see a more significant opportunity coming his way over the next few weeks.

Semi Ojeleye ‘s injury opens the door for Rodney Hood to get more playing time, and the Milwaukee Bucks need him to take advantage

Another new Buck that was off to a tough start to the new season was Semi Ojeleye, who will now be sidelined for an extended period of time. The team revealed on Monday that Ojeleye will be out for at least three weeks with a calf issue. Ojeleye missed time to begin the new season with a calf injury, so the Bucks will be cautious with his recovery process. Without him, the Bucks will be left without a player that had been a key reserve for them this season, and the others must be prepared to step into his shoes and play more minutes.

Hood is one such player whose minutes will likely increase. In fact, it may have already started as Hood played a season-high 22 minutes in Milwaukee’s 123-92 win over the Orlando Magic this past Monday. Although he is new to Milwaukee, Hood’s veteran status will likely help him to carve out an increased role with this Bucks team under Mike Budenholzer. As Ojeleye sits out, there will be a massive hole to fill off the bench, and Hood might be the player to do it.

To be clear, Hood and Ojeleye are very different players. The hulking Ojeleye is known for his brute size and ability to defend at a high level, while Hood is a great scorer. Budenholzer will not start to ask Hood to take on the same defensive assignments that he would typically give Ojeleye. Instead, he will be tasked with bringing a scoring punch off the bench. The Bucks are currently putting up a mere 29.8 second unit points per game this season, the 25th most in the league. Hood is a player that could bump that number up dramatically if he found his scoring touch, and he now has a legit opportunity to with Ojeleye unavailable.

Given just how poorly he has played to start the season, this upcoming stretch will be incredibly important for Hood.