Rodney Hood has had an interesting career arc throughout his five seasons in the league, once a promising young talent for the Utah Jazz, but one that never fully materialized before the franchise decided to ship him to the Cleveland Cavaliers. One stop later now in his career, the Portland Trail Blazers guard has finally found a place of comfort after coming to terms with what has hindered his ability to carve a niche in this league:

“A lot of time, I get in my own way,” Hood told Jason Quick of The Athletic. “I struggle with that — with not willing to go out there and be myself.

“I worry about stepping on people’s shoes, or offending them. That’s been a knock on me since I was younger: I’m too passive; I care too much about other people’s opinion. That’s one of the biggest battles I face.”

As Hood's confidence wavered, so did his minutes — going from a starter worried about sharing the ball with his teammates to a bench cog hesitant to make the wrong decision with the few minutes given to him.

The bar went no lower than when the Cavs chose not to play him at all, ultimately bringing him back for an NBA Finals appearance as an emergency offensive weapon:

“My reasons for struggling there, in my opinion, were basketball fit,” Hood said. “It wasn’t because of pressure of playing with LeBron, or being on a big stage. I play the game the right way, which may come off as passiveness.”

However, Hood's trade to the Blazers was a blessing in disguise. Sure, he was traded for the second consecutive season before the deadline, viewed as damaged goods, but the Blazers offered him a clean slate and a no-pressure environment to shine through:

“This here, this is unique,” Hood said. “This is something I haven’t felt since… well, I haven’t felt it. Especially since I’ve been in the NBA. I have doubted myself a lot, but once I came here, I’ve started to feel like myself again. I’m not averaging what I did in Utah, but I’m back to playing like myself.”

Hood's renewed sense of confidence can only bode well for the Blazers, who will need every contribution possible after losing Jusuf Nurkic to injury during the end stretch of the regular season.