Although he did not live up to the expectations or role many envisioned this season, Christian Wood flashed enough utility to believe he could provide more next year.
Welcome to our annual Lakers season in-review series, where we’ll look back at each player on the team’s roster this season and evaluate if they should be part of the future of the franchise. Today, we take a look at Christian Wood.
It’s easy to forget about the start of Christian Wood’s career. There was a time when the lanky, sprawling, big was forecast as a first-round pick, the type of versatile scoring forward/center tweener that could thrive within modern offenses. Then his stock dropped, and the second round quickly felt like a safer landing spot and floor.
Instead, Wood ultimately went undrafted in 2015. His entry point to the NBA would have to begin from the bottom.
After a flurry of 10-day contracts, G-League stints, bigger contracts and eight teams in eight seasons, Wood finds himself back in a similar position — in search of stability. Where the 28-year-old is now is the same liminal space he’s always been. He is not the star he thought he could and should be. Nor is he the role player who makes ends meet by doing the dirty work. No, Wood is somewhere in between.
The uncertainty about what his future holds and should look like depends on what team he is on. As a member of the Lakers, Wood’s role was downsized to new lows last season; a reality check that certainly caused whiplash after being the first or second option on other teams, but an important experience nevertheless as this is what the configuration of his role in the league likely will be going forward.
To the degree he accepts it — and does it well — could determine if he can finally escape his permanent stasis.
When Wood initially signed in Los Angeles, expectations were relatively high for a player on a minimum deal. And for good reason.
Wood had found individual success in recent seasons, gobbling up gaudy boxscore numbers on bad teams. His talent was unquestionable. What was up for debate, however, was his mindset and how much his contributions weighed in terms of winning basketball.
There were many times this season when the Lakers’ coaching staff was visibly trying to determine these things in real time themselves. Wood’s eventual role was to serve as one of Anthony Davis’ backups. If he was on a hot streak at the time or the matchup dictated his skillset, he’d be the first big off the pine. The other times when he was floating or stuck in one of his doldrums, it’d be Jaxson Hayes who got the call.
It was a reduced, yet streamlined, role than Wood had been accustomed to. Instead of serving as a hub in the half court like in Houston and Detroit, Wood’s 16.5% usage rate was the lowest of any season where he appeared in at least 20 games.
Predominately operating as a floor-spacer within the Lakers’ new 5-out alignment, 39% of Wood’s shots came from behind the arc — a career-high — and as a direct result, only saw 37% of his opportunities come at the rim — a career-low.
Although detrimental to his numbers, the alterations to Wood’s shot profile made sense from a team perspective. Not only did it simplify Wood’s decision-making, but it also allowed the Lakers to play bigger and preserve spacing whenever he shared the floor with Anthony Davis.
The inherent issue that poked holes into this thinking is that Wood’s historically reliable 3-point stroke was inconsistent at best this year. After shooting 38% or better from behind the arc in the previous four seasons, Wood converted only 31% of his 3-point chances in Los Angeles — his worst shooting performance in any season where he attempted at least 100 threes.
While Wood’s offensive output wasn’t what he or the Lakers had hoped for, he did show flashes of other utility that the team arguably could have leaned into more. Once Jarred Vanderbilt was lost for most of the season, the team suddenly became very small on defense and the glass.
Not to be mistaken for a defensive stalwart, there were many moments when Wood used his combination of foot speed and length to switch onto the opposition’s best perimeter threats. Perhaps the best example was in the team’s early season win over the Phoenix Suns where Wood’s defense on Kevin Durant and his rebounding in the fourth quarter proved critical.
Due to the roster makeup, Wood’s ability to address two weaknesses is why he ended the year as a positive contributor in the lineup data.
As the sole pick-and-pop big in LeBron James’ led bench lineups at the start of the second and fourth quarters, Wood had instant stylistic chemistry with the star forward. On the season, lineups that featured James and Wood had an impressive +12.3 netRTG. And in the instances where the Lakers finally leaned into playing bigger with Davis, lineups that featured the trio were a staggering +23.7 points better than their opposition.
Despite the flashes, Wood never secured a consistent spot in the rotation. Whether that was a fault of his uneven play or the coaching staff opting to play smaller, there felt like a lot left on the table by year’s end.
After bringing back most of their core and using their exceptions, the Lakers were armed with only minimum deals to flesh out the rest of the roster this past summer. To incentivize free agents to sign at a low rate, the front office tacked an extra year — and a player option — to each contract.
As a result, five Lakers can decide whether or not they return this upcoming year. Among those players is Wood. He didn’t wait long to make up his mind. According to Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto, Wood has already exercised his $3 million player option to run it back in Los Angeles.
From Wood’s perspective, the decision was likely a wise one. Given he was unable to yield more than a minimum contract last offseason, and considering his uneven year, getting a second chance to up his value before hitting the open market again makes sense.
If he bounces back, there’s no bigger stage or path to a payday than playing well as a member of the Lakers. Need proof? Just ask Malik Monk and Dennis Schröder.
As mentioned, Wood is one of the few players on the roster set to return next season barring a trade or release. And given his cheap price point, size, and skillset, it is hard to be upset about it.
There is an argument, however, that the Lakers need a different type of center rotation than they employed last year. Most specifically, going after a big sturdy enough to anchor the paint and take on some of the wear and tear of defending the Nikola Jokic’s of the world away from Davis.
Perhaps Wood could have showcased some of that ability in the postseason, but a season-ending arthroscopic surgery forced him to miss the final 26 games, made it impossible.
Although ultimately not the ideal fit or archetype that many hope the team opts for, Wood’s talent and skillset still offer a lot of upside. And if the new coaching staff can tap into it, there’s a realistic outcome that the combination of health, continuity and improved utilization helps Wood perform closer to what many initially envisioned.
At worst, Wood will again be a rotational big who can help on the boards and allow the Lakers to open up the floor. There are not many of those types of players out there, especially at this salary rate and with this level of pedigree.
You can follow Alex on Twitter at @AlexmRegla.
