Tag: Christian Wood

Christian Wood, Jarred Vanderbilt will not return to Lakers for Game 3

The Lakers’ frontcourt depth will remain depleted in Game 3 versus the Nuggets.

The Los Angeles Lakers are playing for their playoff lives. Even though they will not face elimination in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, it sure feels like it.

They blew double-digit leads in both of the first two games of the series, including a 20-point second-half lead in Game 2. At this point, it seems the only way the Lakers could beat the Nuggets is if both Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray break their legs and are unable to play and the Lakers run up a 50-point lead.

There was hope that Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt, two of their key frontcourt reserves, would be able to return from injury in Game 3. They have been out since February because of a knee ailment and midfoot sprain, respectively.

But the cavalry will not be coming, at least not yet. Both remain out for Game 3 at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday.

Los Angeles’ bench has produced next to nothing in the first two games. Only one of its reserves — forward Taurean Prince — has scored, and it is a big reason the team is averaging 101 points per game in the series after putting up 120.3 per game in the regular season after the All-Star break.

Bad news regarding Christian Wood’s injury status

Backup big man Christian Wood may be done for the season after the latest update on his injured knee.

As the Los Angeles Lakers fight to, at the very least, hold on to the final play-in tournament spot in the Western Conference, they’re having to go to war while somewhat short-handed.

Guard Gabe Vincent and forward Jarred Vanderbilt, arguably their two best perimeter defenders, have been out for several weeks due to a knee ailment and foot sprain, respectively. While both have made progress and are doing some cautious, conservative work, neither seems particularly close to returning.

It’s also easy to forget that backup big man Christian Wood is out of action due to a knee ailment of his own. He hasn’t played since Feb. 14, and he will reportedly have a procedure that will keep him out for several more weeks.

Given the team’s situation, it could very well mean his season is over.

Via ESPN:

“Lakers forward Christian Wood will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, sources told ESPN on Monday,” wrote Dave McMenamin.

While Wood, who established himself as a very capable scorer in prior seasons, has been a disappointment with L.A., he has shown an ability to help the team with his rebounding.

Without him, its big man depth has been seriously depleted. Its only backup center right now is Jaxson Hayes, who is an energy player lacking on the defensive end and without any real offensive skills.

Lakers big man Christian Wood to miss two weeks with knee swelling

The Lakers’ big man rotation will be depleted for at least a little while.

Throughout this season, it has seemed like the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t been able to catch a break when it has come to injuries.

Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt, arguably their two best perimeter defenders, will be out for an extended stretch with a knee ailment and foot injury, respectively. Both are expected to be reevaluated pretty soon, but neither is necessarily expected to return soon.

In addition, LeBron James and Christian Wood will miss L.A.’s first game back from the All-Star on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. James underwent treatment on his ailing ankle, while Wood has knee swelling.

As a result, Wood will reportedly be out for about two weeks. However, the team is hopeful his knee ailment is minor.

His absence will seriously hamper the Lakers’ big man rotation. While Wood’s offensive production has been somewhat inconsistent, he has helped them with his rebounding and even, to a certain extent, his defense.

He’s averaging 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 0.7 blocked shots in 17.4 minutes a game while shooting 46.6% from the field and 30.7% from 3-point range this season.

LeBron James, Christian Wood will not play in Thursday’s Lakers vs. Warriors game

It looks like the Lakers will be somewhat depleted when they return to action on Thursday against the Warriors.

After the long All-Star break, the Los Angeles Lakers will return to action on Thursday when they travel north to take on the Golden State Warriors.

They have been on something of a roll lately. They’re on a three-game winning streak and have claimed six of their last seven contests and 11 of their last 16, a spurt that has put them four games over .500.

But that momentum still seems fragile, and L.A. will need to keep winning games in bunches in order to have any real shot at making the playoffs.

Unfortunately, it will be short-handed on Thursday. Both LeBron James and backup big man Christian Wood will sit out the contest against Stephen Curry and crew.

James said recently that he could end up missing Thursday’s game since he sought treatment for an ankle ailment prior to the All-Star game.

The good news for the Lakers is that both Max Christie and Cam Reddish are listed as questionable after missing several games each. Christie, in particular, has shown promise lately as a tenacious defender and improving perimeter shooter.

Golden State will not be an easy opponent for the Lakers. It has won eight of its last 10 games, and some are now believing in its potential as a dark-horse contender in the Western Conference.

Christian Wood on Lakers: I think we’re a top-six team

Lakers backup big man Christian Wood sounds very confident about his team’s ability to make the playoffs and bypass the play-in tournament.

With the NBA trade deadline in the past, players across the league can play with the security of knowing they will remain with their current teams for the rest of the season.

The Los Angeles Lakers came up in trade rumors as much as any other team this season. They were rumored to be after Dejounte Murray and Bruce Brown, among others, but they elected to make no moves ahead of the deadline.

They signed veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie from the buyout market, and he could be a solid contributor for them. Perhaps he will be the caliber of player they were hoping to get via trade, other than perhaps Murray, who is a former All-Star.

Los Angeles is 28-26 and ninth in the Western Conference. It appears the team is on its way to the play-in tournament again, but backup big man Christian Wood believes his crew is capable of doing much better.

Perhaps the biggest problem the Lakers have had all season is consistency. While they have defeated a number of the league’s best teams, they have also lost to many teams beneath them in the standings, usually in blowout fashion.

The vast majority of their games over the next six weeks will be at Crypto.com Arena, which will give them a golden opportunity to get hot down the stretch. Last season, they won 18 of their last 26 regular-season games en route to a Western Conference finals appearance.

5 realistic trade targets for the Lakers that would make LeBron James happy

These players are actually available for a price the Lakers can afford.

As we approach the 2024 NBA trade deadline, basketball fans can almost definitely count out any deal involving LeBron James.

But that doesn’t mean that James doesn’t want more talent on the roster in Los Angeles. James is applying pressure on the organization to make some moves, which is not exactly unusual behavior for the four-time NBA Finals MVP this time of year.

This is perhaps a quieter trade deadline than normal because many of the bigger names (e.g. James Harden, OG Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam) were moved earlier this season.

However, several other players are still potentially available and could make for a good fit in Los Angeles.

We looked at some options actually on the market within a price range that Los Angeles could afford. That means the Lakers could realistically make a move for some of the following players if they want to make the playoffs and potentially even avoid the play-in tournament:

Was Christian Wood upset he didn’t start versus the Hawks?

Before Tuesday’s game versus the Hawks, Lakers big man Christian Wood posted a cryptic tweet that many interpreted as frustration over not starting.

After winning five of seven games and showing signs of life, the Los Angeles Lakers took a step back on Monday when they were trounced, 135-119, by the Houston Rockets, a team they definitely should’ve beaten without much trouble.

They took the court again on Tuesday versus the Atlanta Hawks, but they would have to play without Anthony Davis, who was out due to hip spasms.

Head coach Darvin Ham decided to start Jaxson Hayes, who has played sparingly of late, in Davis’ place instead of Christian Wood, who has played fairly well over the last few weeks.

Before the opening tip, Wood posted a cryptic tweet that seemed to hint he was unhappy about not starting.

Wood played relatively well, scoring nine efficient points and grabbing eight rebounds in 22 minutes. But the Lakers lost again, 138-122.

Positive injury update on Rui Hachimura for Lakers vs. Jazz game

The Lakers could be at nearly full health when they visit the Jazz on Saturday.

All season, it has seemed the Los Angeles Lakers lose one or two players to minor injuries and get them back a few games later only to see one or two other players go down with new injuries.

They have lost 11 of their last 16 games since winning the in-season tournament. With a 19-20 record, they’re 11th in the Western Conference. With each growing day, the chances of them missing the play-in tournament for the second time in three seasons increase.

Every game these days is a virtual must-win game for L.A., including its Saturday contest at the Utah Jazz. The good news is that forward Rui Hachimura, who has missed its last five games with a calf ailment, will be available to play on Saturday.

Even better, Christian Wood, who missed Thursday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns with a migraine, is listed as probable.

Hachimura has been hit harder by injuries than almost any other Lakers player so far this season. He has played in only 25 of the team’s 39 games, but when he has played, he has put up 11.6 points in 23.5 minutes a game.

Wood, meanwhile, has gotten himself back into the Lakers’ rotation and has given the team a lift offensively. His fine play of late has included some red-hot 3-point shooting.

Christian Wood will not play in Thursday’s Lakers vs. Suns game

The Lakers’ frontcourt will be depleted when they host the Suns on Thursday evening.

At almost the midway point of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers’ health woes haven’t ended, at least not yet.

The season has been a revolving door of players in and out of the lineup with one minor injury after another. The injuries have forced head coach Darvin Ham to juggle his lineups and rotations, almost on a game-by-game basis, and have prevented the Lakers from building next-level chemistry and cohesion.

Rui Hachimura, who has had three separate ailments this season, is still out with a strained calf. When the team takes on the Phoenix Suns on Thursday evening, backup big man Christian Wood will also sit due to a migraine.

After a disappointing first two months of the season, Wood has played well lately while returning to Ham’s regular rotation. He has averaged 9.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1 blocked shot and 20.3 minutes a game while shooting 53.5% from the field and an outstanding 52.6% from 3-point range in his last seven contests.

Christian Wood keeps promise and buys his mom her dream home

Lakers big man Christian Wood blessed his mother with her dream house while fulfilling a promise he made to her when he was just 18.

Playing in the NBA is a huge dream for many young ballplayers. Not only do they want to showcase their skills and compete at the highest level, but they also want to make some big bucks.

Plenty of athletes, regardless of their racial or ethnic background, come from the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum. As they make their way through high school and college, they see their sport as their ticket to the good life.

Pro athletes are all too often stereotyped as self-centered, self-indulgent prima donnas who want to make millions of dollars simply so they can live a glamorous, decadent lifestyle. In reality, many of today’s NBA players are very family-oriented and do not forget their roots.

On social media, Los Angeles Lakers big man Christian Wood pointed out how he promised his mother at the age of 18 that he would buy her the house of her dreams by the time he turned 30. It looks like he has fulfilled that promise with plenty of time to spare.

Wood, who averaged an efficient 18.1 points a game the previous three seasons, has struggled so far this season, and those struggles are well-documented. But perhaps this gift to his mother is more important than anything he may ever accomplish on the hardwood.