The Dallas Mavericks acquired Christian Wood in a trade from the Houston Rockets this offseason, in order to get Luka Doncic some help on the offensive end of the floor. Thus far, the trade has been a success for the team thus far, as Wood has averaged 19.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.0 APG for the team, while also shooting a blistering 58.8% from beyond the arc.
In their recent game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Dallas Mavericks lost after a meltdown late in the game. After the game, Jason Kidd seemed to throw shade at Christian Wood, pointing out that the team left him out there in the clutch, and ended up losing against the Thunder.
Jason Kidd made a point to mention that the Mavs tried a different closing lineup during the clutch meltdown vs. Thunder. “We left C Wood out there with that group and it didn’t go well on either end,” Kidd said.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) October 30, 2022
Jason Kidd made a point to mention that the Mavs tried a different closing lineup during the clutch meltdown vs. Thunder. “We left C Wood out there with that group and it didn’t go well on either end,” Kidd said.
Though the Dallas Mavericks performing poorly in the clutch may have coincided with Christian Wood being on the court, that doesn’t mean that the big man was the only reason for the loss. The team as a whole played some poor defense and was unable to protect their lead.
Christian Wood Has Been Good Overall
Christian Wood might have struggled a little bit against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but there’s no question that he has been a positive acquisition for the team overall. In fact, prior to the start of the season, NBA insider Ohm Youngmisuk claimed that Christian Wood was the best move of the offseason.
“Christian Wood fills all the things Dallas was missing in the postseason – a big man who can spread the floor and score – if he’s in the right frame of mind. He should be able to give Luka Doncic much needed help, and JaVale McGee will give them some much-needed rim protection.”
Hopefully, we see Christian Wood learn from his mistakes in this recent game, and move on while continuing to play at a high level. Christian Wood knows that there’s a huge opportunity for him to make his mark with the Dallas Mavericks, and perhaps we will see him shine going forward.
The Dallas Mavericks are currently 2-3, which is not a good start for the team that just made it to the Western Conference Finals. Perhaps they will turn things around, and the talent on their team suggests they’ll be able to do so.
