Tag: Christian Wood

New report suggests Jalen Green, as rookie, called out Christian Wood

In the events leading to Christian Wood’s suspension in January 2022, he was reportedly called out by a young #Rockets player. A new ESPN report suggests it could have been by Jalen Green.

When former Houston Rockets center Christian Wood was suspended in January 2022 for refusing to check into a game, reporting at the time suggested his teammates disapproved.

“At least one other of the team’s young players challenged Wood, telling him that as a veteran, Wood should be setting a standard,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Adrian Wojnarowski wrote.

Now, 21 months later, it’s becoming clear who that young player was. From ESPN’s Zach Lowe, in a new feature on Jalen Green:

“You’re supposed to lead by example,” Jalen Green, then a 19-year-old rookie and No. 2 overall draft pick, chastised one of the few veterans on the team — a player Green and others present won’t identify today. Other players and coaches had noticed that veteran playing with a halfhearted selfishness. Only Green spoke up.

“We need you to be better,” Green continued. “You’re supposed to show us how to do this.”

Considering the small number of veterans on that 2021-22 team, the odds strongly suggest Lowe’s anecdote is in reference to Wood’s actions in that Denver game on Jan. 1, 2022.

Wood was traded from the Rockets to Dallas after the 2021-22 season, and he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.

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Lakers head coach Darvin Ham talks about Christian Wood’s defensive focus

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham is impressed with Christian Wood’s focus and engagement on the defensive end early in training camp.

Many believe big man Christian Wood, who the Lakers signed as a free agent several weeks ago, could end up being a major X-factor for them this season.

He is a highly skilled scorer who can hit from 3-point range and finish strongly at the rim. Those abilities can make them a very potent team on the offensive end.

However, Wood has gained a reputation as a very poor defender, whether because of a lack of effort, an inability to defend well or a combination of the two.

He has said he is motivated to prove the narrative about him being a poor defender and a poor teammate is wrong. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said that so far in training camp, Wood has been very focused and engaged on the defensive end.

Wood has the tools to be an above-average defender, particularly when it comes to being a secondary shot blocker. If he greatly improves in that category, he could end up being the best bargain in the NBA this season.

Christian Wood talks about turning around his reputation

New Lakers big man Christian Wood is motivated to prove that his negative reputation is nothing but balderdash.

When the Los Angeles Lakers signed big man Christian Wood several weeks ago, some fans were amazed the team was able to pick up a man who averaged 18.1 points and 8.9 rebounds a game the last three seasons for the veteran’s minimum.

But when a player as skilled as him is available for such a low price, there is a reason, and in Wood’s case, it is his reputation.

While playing with the Dallas Mavericks last year and the Houston Rockets the previous two seasons, he developed a reputation as a no-defense-playing, ball-hogging stat stuffer with an inflated sense of his value. He has an incredible opportunity to turn that around with the Lakers this season, and he seems motivated.

He told the media he has never had any problems with any of the teams he has played for and how motivated he is to do well this year (h/t Clutch Points).

Wood may not end up starting for Los Angeles, but he will be given a key role off the bench, likely as an instant offense man. If he also provides some defense and rebounding, runs the floor hard in transition and embraces a reduced role, he can definitely turn around his reputation 180 degrees.

After all, this is a city where such redemption stories are regularly depicted on the television screen and on the silver screen.

Christian Wood on how he and Anthony Davis can mesh well

New Lakers big man Christian Wood has some specific ideas on how he can complement Anthony Davis well on both ends of the floor.

The Los Angeles Lakers were already considered championship contenders before they signed Christian Wood a few weeks ago, and he could make them even stronger favorites this season.

Wood represents the Lakers’ wild card. He comes in with a checkered reputation, but perhaps playing for a team with a winning culture and a well-defined leadership hierarchy will bring out the best in him. His ability to score, finish strong at the rim and hit from the outside could greatly bolster L.A.’s chances of success.

Wood will almost certainly play a significant number of minutes with Anthony Davis this season. During media day on Monday, he talked about how he can be a good fit with Davis, especially on the defensive end.

“We actually talked a lot,” said Wood. “He’s recruited me to try to come here during the summer as well. I think with his length, him being able to block shots, my length being able to block shots — I can piggyback off of him. He could help me defensively. I can help him offensively. I think we can just really figure each other out and get this thing going. I think our length and my ability to be able to switch on the perimeter and guard some guards sometimes, and his ability to guard one through five is kind of good.”

It’s encouraging to hear Wood talk about the defensive end of the court since much of his checkered reputation has to do with that facet of the game. However, his length and athleticism give him the ability to at least be a decent defender and occasionally block shots, perhaps as a help defender.

The 6-foot-9, 28-year-old big man (he turned 28 on Sept. 27) has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only erase his bad reputation but to permanently replace it with a sterling one as a winner.

Lakers 3 goals: Christian Wood can prove his value and character

Christian Wood can do a 180 when it comes to his reputation and narrative by locking in on these three goals with the Lakers this season.

With training camp for the 2023-24 season just days away, the Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to hit the court for what could be an exciting and very successful season for them. They appear to have a stacked roster, and therefore an 18th NBA championship is a realistic goal for them once it’s all said and done next summer.

To accomplish that goal, a number of players will need to play up to their potential. Therefore, we have identified three goals for each Lakers player that, if attained, will help the team win it all.

Christian Wood has acquired a checkered reputation over the last few years, but he can erase that with the Lakers this season. In order to do that, he will need to accomplish these three goals.

Christian Wood on ‘life-long dream’ of playing for the Lakers

New Laker Christian Wood says it’s a “life-long dream” to play with the Purple and Gold and said some other nice things about his new team.

Not everyone has been on board with the Los Angeles Lakers’ recent signing of big man Christian Wood. Yes, he’s a proven scorer and 3-point shooter, the naysayers assert, but he is a woefully poor defender who has a self-entitlement problem and a big ego.

It is somewhat of a low-risk, medium or high-reward move by the Lakers. If he doesn’t work out, they don’t necessarily need him to contend for the NBA championship this season. But if he plays and behaves well, he could significantly bolster their chances of winning it all.

One thing that is undeniable is that Wood seems very happy, if not excited, to be with the Lakers, a team he says he was been watching since childhood.

Wood is a Southland product. He was born in Long Beach and went to Los Alamitos High School as a freshman before relocating to Palmdale and then Clark County, Nev.

He also mentioned that Lakers coach Darvin Ham, with whom he had a previous relationship dating back to his short tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks where Ham was an assistant, called him every day during free agency. When asked how he would fit with Anthony Davis, Wood even said that Davis has always been his favorite player to watch.

The 6-foot-9, soon-to-be 28-year-old has an immense opportunity to not only succeed with the Lakers but to also reverse the negative reputation he has developed over the last few years.

Christian Wood was monitoring the Heat and 76ers before joining L.A.

New Lakers big man Christian Wood was weighing his options and waiting to see if something else would develop before coming to L.A.

Shortly after their roster took shape for the 2023-24 season in early July, the Los Angeles Lakers realized they needed one more big man in order to round out that roster. The pickings were slim, but there was one intriguing free agent available: Christian Wood.

The Lakers quickly emerged as a potential landing spot for the skilled 6-foot-9 big man. However, for about two months, both sides were seemingly at a standoff, and one sticking point was supposedly the fact that L.A. could only offer him the veteran’s minimum.

The team finally signed him last week, but according to Jovan Buha, Wood was keeping an eye on what was happening with the potential trades of Damian Lillard and James Harden. When nothing materialized by late summer, Wood chose the Purple and Gold.

Via The Athletic:

“Once it was clear Wood might be available for the minimum, he became the Lakers’ top target for their third big spot. Over the past couple of months, Wood had been weighing the fallout of potential Damian Lillard and James Harden trades, including the possibility that he’d find a situation with a greater role and/or a salary above the minimum, according to league sources. But with Lillard still in Portland and Harden still in Philadelphia, it was time for Wood to make a decision. He chose the Lakers.”

One rumor was that Wood would join the Miami Heat if Lillard landed there. They’re a team that badly needs offensive firepower, not to mention size and length in the frontcourt. However, there has been little or no progress in terms of trade negotiations between the Heat and Portland Trail Blazers, Lillard’s current team.

As far as the Philadelphia 76ers are concerned, they found no takers for Harden, and thus Harden is at odds with the organization and executive Daryl Morey.

But Wood is now a Laker, and if he pans out for them, they will have an embarrassment of riches on the offensive end.

Lamar Odom is bullish on the Lakers’ signing of Christian Wood

Former Lakers forward Lamar Odom thinks Christian Wood will greatly help the team this coming season.

Lamar Odom is one of the most-liked men to ever play for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was with the team for seven seasons from 2004 to 2011, and he played a key role in its back-to-back NBA championships in 2009 and 2010 as the sixth man and occasional starter.

But when Odom first came to the team, he had a somewhat questionable reputation. He also struggled in his first few seasons with the Purple and Gold when he was miscast as Kobe Bryant’s sidekick and the team’s No. 2 offensive option.

Christian Wood, the Lakers’ newest member, also has a questionable reputation, but like Odom, his talent and skill are undeniable. He also has the opportunity to make a positive name for himself this season.

On X, formally known as Twitter, Odom made it clear he likes the acquisition of Wood and said the Lakers can be a “real big time threat.”

A number of players with checkered pasts have come to the Lakers and turned their careers and reputations around. That is the immense opportunity that is in front of Wood right now, and it was the same type of opportunity Odom took full advantage of back in the day.

Anthony Davis wanted more support so he could play at the 5 less

Perhaps one reason the Lakers signed Christian Wood is because Anthony Davis told them he wants to spend less time playing center.

Big man Christian Wood is a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, and whether one loves or hates the move, he clearly has the potential to help them this season.

He averaged 18.1 points and 8.9 rebounds a game while shooting 50.9% from the field and 38.1% from 3-point range the last three seasons. Even though he is officially listed at 6-foot-9 and 214 pounds, it appears the plan is for him to play lots of minutes at the center position off the bench.

Wood will likely also play some meaningful minutes alongside Anthony Davis. Per Dave McMenamin, Davis told the Lakers that wanted some help, personnel-wise, so that he will not have to play at the 5 as much (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via ESPN:

“Sources told ESPN that Davis made it clear to the organization he wanted to have more support at center so he wouldn’t have to play so much 5 during the regular season,” McMenamin wrote.

While Davis played the majority of his minutes at power forward in his first two seasons in L.A., that has changed since. This past season he almost exclusively played at the 5.

Davis starting at the 4 and the tag-team duo of JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard at the 5 won the Lakers the NBA championship during the 2019-20 season. It appears the organization wants to revert to using two big men a significant amount of the time moving forward.

To that end, it also signed Jaxson Hayes, a 6-foot-11 pogo stick of a center, this summer in order to bolster its depth at that position.

Last year, the Lakers had to make do during the second half of the season without a true backup center. That will not be the case this season.

Richard Sherman makes outlandish Christian Wood comparison

Former NFL star Richard Sherman thinks new Lakers big man Christian Wood is worthy of being compared to one of the team’s Hall of Famers.

Big man Christian Wood is now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, and although it is a gamble, it could pay off big if he accepts his new role.

Over the last few years, Wood had been a featured player, first with the Houston Rockets and then with the Dallas Mavericks last season. He averaged 18.1 points and 8.9 rebounds a game while shooting 50.9% from the field and 38.1% from 3-point range during that span, which are certainly excellent numbers.

But former NFL star cornerback and current “Undisputed” commentator Richard Sherman, who is a long-time Lakers fan, went overboard when he compared Wood to a former Hall of Fame Lakers big man (h/t The Cold Wire).

“Pau Gasol, a Lakers great, jersey just went in the rafters — during his Lakers career averaged 18 (points) and nine (rebounds), or 18 and 10. This boy coming in is averaging 18 and nine over the last three years — 38 percent shooting from three — I feel like he’s going to be a great asset. I don’t understand why we got him for this price.”

The price the Lakers signed Wood for is reportedly $5.7 million over two years, which seems like an incredible bargain for such a potent offensive player. However, he has a reputation for being an abysmal defender and for an attitude of self-entitlement, which is why he was available for the NBA equivalent of crumpled-up $1 bills found under one’s couch cushions.

Wood is a very good NBA player, at least offensively. But he is certainly no Gasol, who had 1,001 ways to score, especially in the post, and had numerous big games in the playoffs to help L.A. win back-to-back world championships in 2009 and 2010.