There is currently a raging debate regarding the Rockets. Until now, Houston has had simple decisions and good fortune as part of its rebuilding plan. In 2020, James Harden made it clear that his tenure in Houston was over, allowing the Rockets to extract maximum value from Brooklyn. There was little debate as to what the team would have to do.
Last summer, the team was able to retain its own first-round draft pick despite a 50/50 chance of having to send it to Oklahoma City. Again, it was an easy choice for the Rockets to pounce on the best player on their board. Houston took Jalen Green, viewing him as a dynamic guard who fit well with where the future of the NBA is going.
When Alperen Sengun fell to the No. 16 pick, general manager Rafael Stone made the no-brainer decision to send two protected future firsts for a player that most expected to go in the lottery. These decisions have been relatively easy for Houston, and the path has been quite clear.
The Rockets, however, have finally arrived at the first difficult crossroads of their rebuild. They need to make a decision on what to do with debatably their best current player, center Christian Wood.
Now 26 years old, Wood joined the Rockets in the 2020 offseason as an ideal finishing piece next to both Harden and Russell Westbrook. It was hoped that Wood’s perimeter shooting and versatility as a big man could bring size back to the Rockets’ lineup and allow for the pick-and-roll game to return without clogging the lane and hurting Westbrook.
Instead, none of that happened. Westbrook was dealt soon after to the Washington Wizards in exchange for John Wall, and Harden effectively quit on team shortly thereafter. Despite a short reign of the W-O-W factor, featuring an offensive gameplan centered around Wood, Victor Oladipo, and John Wall… the team sputtered.
Houston has had the worst record in the NBA during the past two seasons, and the relative vacuum of talent allowed Wood to feature as the team’s premier player. He averaged 21.0 points and 9.6 rebounds in the 2020-21 season, followed by 17.9 points and 10.1 rebounds in 2021-22. This included an impressive 39% clip on 3-pointers last season.
Today, the Rockets appear ready to transition away from being a talent vacuum and into the next phase of their rebuild: talent development. Green and Kevin Porter Jr. both appear ready to operate as ball-dominant guards who are capable of scoring the rock. In the frontcourt, Sengun thrived in a limited role last season, and many would love to see him operate with more minutes as the starting center.
Additionally, the team will be onboarding yet another lottery pick with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. The consensus appears to be that Duke’s Paolo Banchero, who dominated the 2022 NCAA Tournament, will be the selection for Houston. Banchero is a great passer and a scoring forward, with the size to even play a small-ball center role.
All of these factors leave the Rockets and general manager Rafael Stone in an interesting position. They have plenty of young talent, many of whom are capable of scoring the ball and creating. At this point, youth and scoring are likely the two most positive skills attributed to Wood.
On the other hand, what does Houston lack? They project to be terrible defensively, and it’s something that head coach Stephen Silas has preached about wanting to improve this offseason. The most recent reports even point to possibly retaining veteran Eric Gordon, who doesn’t fit the rebuilding timeline, for his versatile skillset. As young as the Rockets are, they lack a significant veteran presence in the locker room.
The best path forward for Houston, despite Wood’s talent and what he brought to the squad over the past season, may mean moving on.
The Rockets have a large sample size on Wood. He hasn’t shown himself to be the Marcus Smart-esque veteran leader to surround Green, Sengun, and possibly Banchero with. He infamously refused to substitute himself back into a game last season.
For a team that lacks a defensive presence, Wood has not shown himself to be that. On that side, he is considered to be a relative liability, and Silas has been reluctant to start Wood and Sengun together.
Unfortunately for Houston, Wood’s scoring strength only serves as this point to take away touches from younger players. The Rockets’ season in 2022-23 may be meaningless, but every attempted basket for a young player is one additional step in preparing to the hunt for the playoffs in the following year. Shot attempts and minutes occupied by Wood are inherently minutes that cannot be distributed to Banchero and Sengun, as well as shots that can’t be taken by Porter Jr. and Green.
In a perfect world, Wood is a great center for today’s NBA. His ability to stretch the floor makes him viable in multiple lineups, and it’s a skillset that fits onto almost every team.
This could also be why now is the perfect time to move him.
Shopping the center to a team like the Portland Trail Blazers, who are looking for veteran talent to supplement Damian Lillard with, or the Charlotte Hornets as a running mate for All-Star guard Lamelo Ball, could yield a good return. This could provide viable wing pieces that Houston could use to improve its defense, or additional draft capital to allow Stone to navigate the board and acquire prospects that he covets.
There is certainly interest around the league.
While it is arguably the first difficult decision to make in Houston’s rebuild, this is the best decision for all parties. Wood should function better on a squad in playoff contention that has more of a need for his offensive skillset. Meanwhile, for the Rockets, Wood’s departure will place additional scoring burden and opportunities on their young players, thus alloying them to more quickly adapt to the NBA level.
There’s also the benefit of extracting some value for Wood prior to his 2023 free agency, when he could potentially leave for no compensation.
Fans will have to wait and see how Stone chooses to navigate this fork in the road. But this could be the month for action, since waiting until July or later would allow potential suitors to find alternatives in free agency.
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