It was a long and exhausting process for Los Angeles Lakers fans awaiting to see who would be signed for the 14th roster spot. With rumors flying around about various players, there was some uncertainty about who Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka would ultimately sign.
The Lakers would eventually come to terms with big man Christian Wood on a two-year contract with the second year being a player option. Wood seemed to be the No. 1 option for the front office due to the offensive skillset he holds as a 6’10” center that can stretch the floor, and they waited him out until he was ready to commit.
While there are defensive question marks, to get a talent of Wood’s caliber for a veteran minimum contract is a risk worth taking. The former Dallas Maverick has bounced around, playing for seven teams in seven seasons, but the hope is that the Lakers can help him turn his career around.
Now it becomes a matter of does Wood start or come off the bench. It seems that the expectation, as of now, is he will be coming off the bench, via Jovan Buha of The Athletic:
“The early expectation is that Wood will come off the bench with Rui Hachimura the likely frontcourt starter next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, according to team sources. At a minimum, Wood will be the primary backup center behind Davis while occasionally teaming with him in two-big lineups. He should average around 20 minutes per game when everyone is healthy.”
Coming off the bench seems to be the best route for Wood with how deep the roster is, but he is more than capable of stepping into the starting center role when Anthony Davis misses time. However, it is safe to assume that fans can expect to see Wood and Davis play alongside one another when both are healthy as well given the former’s ability to space the floor.
In his lone season with the Mavericks, Wood averaged 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 25.9 minutes while shooting 37.6% from 3 on 4.2 attempts. As mentioned, the offensive skillset is there and needed for L.A., so it’ll be interesting to see how head coach Darvin Ham utilizes him throughout the season.
This becomes Wood’s first chance to seriously contend for a championship and he seems to be looking forward to the opportunity. Born in Long Beach, Wood gets to come home and add some serious offensive firepower to this Lakers roster.
Wood expects to play big role for Lakers; motivated by departure from Mavericks
After Wood’s signing was reported on Tuesday night, he came out with a statement about signing with L.A. and it seems that after talking with Ham, Wood believes he’ll be playing a big role for the Lakers this upcoming season.
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