The Los Angeles Lakers were considered one of the winners of free agency this past summer with the signings and re-signings that they made. But, it did come with some suspense as the 14th roster spot was vacant for an extended period of time.
Ultimately, L.A. came to terms on a deal with Christian Wood, who is an extremely talented big man but simply did not have much of a market. Now on his eighth team, Wood is trying to piece it together and prove his worth on a contending team led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Wood has had some character issues attached to his name through his recent stops with the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, while also having some on-court question marks, specifically as a defender. He seems determined to disprove these stereotypes and is picking the brain of Davis, who is an exceptional defender, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
“I’ve always been a big fan of AD,” the 28-year-old Wood told ESPN about the 30-year-old Davis. “Even before I got to New Orleans, I was always watching his game. I always thought we had similarities in our game.
“So, when we met each other, I was instantly like, ‘Let’s play one-on-one.’ Let’s do this, let’s do that. ‘Where can I learn from you?’ Where can I get better at?’”
There is no denying the offensive capabilities that Wood possesses and it is a definite positive that he is trying to learn from one of the best defensive big men in the league. Not many players can say they’ve had the opportunity to play alongside Davis and LeBron James, so Wood is trying to make the most out of this opportunity.
Whether he stays with the Lakers long term remains to be seen, but to be able to rehab his value and cash in on a payday, Wood has to buy in on the defensive end. Through the early part of this year, Wood has been an impactful rebounder and not simply trying to get his own, but trying to help the team in whichever way he can.
As the season goes on, Wood’s role will likely increase, so hopefully he can continue picking the brain of Davis in order to improve as the year progresses.
James outlines positives of Lakers’ big lineup featuring Davis & Wood
One of the most impactful lineups this year has been Davis paired with another big, whether that be Jaxson Hayes or Wood. James detailed the positives of a lineup that features both Davis and Wood.
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