by We won’t see Christian Wood in this Lakers’ preseason as he recovers from his second knee surgery.
However, he spoke to Spectrum SportsNet during Media Day about his potential role on this team.
“That I can play like I did in Dallas and Houston again. I think last year I wasn’t asked to score anymore, but more like, “We need a defensive rebound.” This year he was like, “Hey man, if you have a mismatch, I want you to take advantage of it.” “I want you to use all your skills and I want you to take bigger guys off the dribble and send little guys up. I’ll come back to that.”
Wood played for the Houston Rockets in 2021-22 and the Dallas Mavericks the following season.
In those two years, Wood averaged 17.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, far better than the 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists he averaged as a Laker in the 2023/24 season had.
Perhaps the biggest setback to his game last year was the nosedive in his 3-point shooting numbers. Wood had a 39% shooting percentage from three in his final year as a Rocket. As a Laker, he barely averaged 30% from deep.
To be fair, Wood has seen a decline in his minutes with the Lakers, which partly explains the lower numbers, but his production has declined sharply no matter how you look at it.
If Redick can unlock the version of Wood that spent time in Texas, this team will get a center who can crash the boards and shoot well from distance. Suddenly he can have, at best, one season as a Laker.
If Wood’s numbers even come close to his Houston and Dallas stats, it would give the franchise its best center since the title year, when Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee dominated.
Unfortunately, due to Wood’s injury and his subpar performance in 2024, the Lakers are still trying to add another center to the roster.
Given that the Lakers already have 15 players on the team and are dangerously close to the second tax apron, the hope is that they can improve from within. If Redick and Wood can come together and maximize his production, it can make life a lot easier for the Lakers’ front office.
It shouldn’t be long before we see some Wood action; He will be reevaluated later this month. Although he will most likely miss the first few games of the season, he should return to the rotation sometime in November barring any setbacks.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
