The Dallas Mavericks made a big trade ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft, completing a trade with the Houston Rockets for Christian Wood.
Dallas wanted to shore up their frontcourt heading into the season and Wood, heading into the final season of his contract, was an affordable option.
The UNLV product had shown flashes earlier in his career of being a productive player but was unable to find consistent playing time. The Rockets took a shot, signing him to a three-year deal when he was a free agent in 2020 and it paid off handsomely.
Wood thrived as their starting center with an expanded role. In two seasons with the Rockets, Wood averaged 19.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.8 steals. He was an efficient scorer, making 50.7 percent of his shots overall and 38.4 percent of his 3-point attempts.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Christian Wood, Luka Doncic & Dallas Mavericks Updates
That kind of scoring punch is exactly what the Mavericks were looking for in the frontcourt. They had high hopes for the pairing of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, but things didn’t work out as well as they had hoped.
Wood is filling that void, and one NBA scout that talked to NBA Analysis Network praised his performance thus far with averages of 21.0 points and 8.0 rebounds through four games.
“Christian Wood basically brings offensively what the Mavericks thought they were getting in Kristaps Porzingis. The 2-man game with Doncic is tough to stop because Wood can pop, roll, and punish a switch. He’s a great option as a spacer and cutter, too. … Dallas can run things through Wood when Doncic isn’t on the court, too. He’s been great with Spencer Dinwiddie in those bench lineups. … Wood makes them both more dynamic with Doncic and deeper without him on the floor.”
LATEST NBA NEWS: Christian Wood, Luka Doncic & Dallas Mavericks Updates
Wood has been coming off the bench for the Mavericks thus far and if he continues performing at this level, there could be some hardware waiting for him at the end of the season. Arguably the most surprising thing about his performance thus far is how Wood has handled himself on the defensive end.
“Wood has always had the tools to be a good defender. He’s got quick feet and a wingspan well over 7-feet. He’s playing a big role on a contender for the first time in his NBA career. Jason Kidd got that team to buy into defense last year, and it looks Wood has been doing well so far. … I like how they’ve used him as the low-man with Kleber guarding the 5s and the rebounding has brought a boost. Handling the screener with a rim protection presence will be the next step for Wood.”
Dallas struggled defensively for years before Jason Kidd took over as head coach and turned them into one of the best defensive units in the NBA last season. Wood has seemingly bought in as well, as whatever Kidd has been telling his guys and scheming up is working very well.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Christian Wood, Luka Doncic & Dallas Mavericks Updates
The Mavericks have a deep, talented group of frontcourt players that Kidd can mix and match depending on matchups. Wood playing up to his potential provides him with another go-to player offensively, taking some pressure off of Doncic and helping replace the production they lost with Jalen Brunson joining the New York Knicks.
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