• LeBron James recognized Christian Wood’s talent in a 2021 matchup when Wood was in Houston
• James was instructing Marc Gasol to guard Wood
• James referred to Wood as ‘trouble’, recognizing his on-court impact
Christian Wood will be on the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2023-24 season, hoping to rebound after a tough season on the Dallas Mavericks. Under LeBron James‘ guidance, Wood can blossom if he accepts his role. James clearly values Wood, specifically marking him out during a 2021 matchup between the Lakers and Rockets.
“Ok ok… Hold him. Hold his a**… That guy is trouble. Hold him down.”
https://twitter.com/nbaontnt/status/1349913917061939202
Wood had a tumultuous two-season tenure with the Rockets before finding himself on the Mavericks last season. He had some great on-court moments toward the start of the season but gradually lost his position in the rotation due to poor defensive fundamentals and selfish play.
Despite the struggles, Wood averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds without having a defined role on the roster the entire season.
Christian Wood Impressed The Lakers
Wood has been rumored to join the Lakers from early in free agency. Even after all teams seemed to have figured out their primary rosters, Wood stayed on the market as one of the best available free agents. The Mavericks didn’t want to bring him back, but it was rumored that the Miami Heat could’ve taken a flyer on Wood.
In four games against the Lakers last season, Wood averaged 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists. The Christmas Day clash between the Mavs and Lakers was the highlight performance of his Mavs’ tenure, as he put up 30 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and two blocks in a closely-fought win.
His final game of the season against LA saw him put up a lousy 12 points on 5/15 shooting. By that time, Jason Kidd had lost confidence in Wood and was playing him sparingly.
The Lakers are Wood’s eighth team since 2015 in the NBA. It is a highly worrying trend that shows there are clear problems with him fitting on rosters. His professionalism has been questioned since he made it to the league, but his talent keeps getting him opportunities. If he can’t maximize his stint on the Lakers alongside a legend like LeBron, the league may not keep giving Wood chances.
How Does Christian Wood Fit On The Lakers?
Even with all the concerns around Wood’s play-style, the Lakers couldn’t have made a better signing for one of their final rotation spots. I don’t see him as a starter, but he’ll be a versatile bench piece that can play in either big man positions based on what is needed.
Jaxson Hayes and Jarred Vanderbilt are defense-oriented big men and will struggle to impact the game if they don’t have an offensive fulcrum next to them. Wood would give the Lakers versatility in lineups with either big man, as they can focus on defense while Wood’s wide offensive arsenal can be put to good use.
Wood and Anthony Davis could be the team’s closing big men. While AD works best as a free-roam defender with a POA defender like Vanderbilt next to him, he could use having Wood as a scoring threat when he has trouble on offense, as we saw in alternating playoff games.
Christian Wood needs to buy into whatever Darvin Ham asks him to do. If he does that and can provide meaningful minutes as a bench big, he could earn a starting spot and enjoy a boom season similar to Malik Monk in 2021-22 or Dennis Schroder last season, ensuring they got big contracts elsewhere in the league.
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