• Christian Wood signed a two-year contract to join the Lakers
• NFL legend Richard Sherman believes Wood is similar to club legend Pau Gasol
• Sherman used Wood’s stats from recent years to compare him to Gasol
Christian Wood will join the Lakers this summer but it’ll be interesting to see how he impacts the floor. While he may be one of their most talented summer acquisitions, there are legitimate concerns around his game. Richard Sherman seems unaware of the same, as he looked at Wood’s stats and compared him to Pau Gasol.
“Pau Gasol, a Lakers great, jersey just went to the rafters. During his career, he averaged 18 and 10. This boy coming in has been averaging 18 and 9 over the last three years, 38% shooting from three. I think he’s gonna be a great asset.”
Richard Sherman compares Christian Wood to Pau Gasol https://t.co/tWmsosBS2C
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 6, 2023
Christian Wood always puts up attractive numbers; nobody has ever doubted that. He has genuine ability on the court, especially offensively. There was a good reason why he was still available in September and that’s because he has major defensive flaws and questionable professionalism.
He averaged 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists with the Mavericks last season.
Will Christian Wood Be A Starter?
Christian Wood has been projected as a starter by many who are assuming his signing indicates Anthony Davis could be moving back to power forward. I don’t think that’s the case, as the Lakers would want a defensive anchor as the center to let Davis roam free as a help defender. We saw this in 2020 with Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee being the center rotation next to AD, and it worked.
Wood is an offensive option, so he could play as the four next to AD and be focused on offense. Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes are already on the roster as defensive options, so Wood could complement all three of the Lakers’ big men on the court. Due to this, I think the team should stick with Vanderbilt or Rui Hachimura as their starting power forward next to Davis at center.
Wood’s versatility means he’ll likely be in a primarily sixth-man role for the Lakers. He can play in a variety of combinations across the frontcourt due to the defensive depth the Lakers already have. He’ll be allowed to focus on what he does best, so he could earn a starting spot over the season. It’s unlikely he will start the season as one, given how low his stock is right now.
Could Christian Wood Harm The Lakers?
Wood clearly had a negative effect on the last two locker rooms he was a part of, with the Rockets and Mavericks both not being big fans of him. Being in a locker room with LeBron James is different, as most players tend to humble themselves while on his team. If they don’t, they will be moved at the first chance possible. With Wood being on a minimum contract, he cannot afford to leave the Lakers sour on him as well.
This is a phenomenal, low-risk, high-reward signing by the Lakers. They can get rid of Wood for little to no negative impact on team building if it doesn’t work out. Given the talent we know Wood has, if he can demonstrate that within a defined role in LA, the Lakers may be one of the most dangerous teams in the league.
The expectations with Wood aren’t as sky-high as being the leader in post-James Harden Rockets or the secondary star in a post-Jalen Brunson Mavericks. He has to play his role, rebound, and stretch the floor. If he can do that, he’ll likely save his career after a tough summer.
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