Signed in early September, more than two months after the market opened, Christian Wood not only plans to take revenge on Dallas, but he will also have to make his place in Los Angeles and prove that he can contribute to a competitive team. .
Because his best seasons were all spent in weak teams, not qualified for the playoffs, where his offensive qualities and his points made him an important player, which allowed his major defensive shortcomings to be somewhat forgotten.
But that didn’t stop Darvin Ham from finally betting on him. “I worked on Rob Pelinka’s body. I didn’t call him every day, but I called and texted often,” the Lakers coach tells Andscape. “I told Wood we had an opportunity for him and we managed to sign him. »
It must be said that the two men have known each other since a summer camp in Las Vegas in 2015. Christian Wood then left UNLV university, without having been drafted, when Darvin Ham was an assistant with the Hawks.
“I’m looking at this kid. He looks a little lanky and lanky, but he does what he needs to do on both ends of the court. remembers the coach. “It’s the first time we saw each other,” confirms the former Houstonian. “He was a fan of me and told me that I had a lot of matches to play in front of me, that I had to stay patient. I had to let the game come to me. »
“I asked him to trust me. I will be frank with him. If he makes mistakes, I’ll tell him.”
Christian Wood had to be patient before his career really took off. His short stints in Philadelphia, Charlotte and Milwaukee are more than forgettable. However, at the Bucks, he reconnected with Darvin Ham, then assistant coach, who outlined his career path in three stages.
“First of all, you have to earn your place in the league. Secondly, he showed that he was not just a player to fill out the squad. He’s a player who can turn into double-doubles and put the game away. Now he has statistics, great statistics even. Third, when you are surrounded by great players, the stats may decrease a bit, but the impact on winning is greater. »
What Christian Wood failed to do in Dallas for example, last season, in a team that was certainly in difficulty. With the Lakers, who are aiming for the title this season, he can finally prove that he is capable of becoming a useful element and not just a machine for scoring points in defeats.
For this, the confidence of Darvin Ham and their past will be precious.
“He will say it: I always followed him: Detroit, New Orleans, elsewhere, even in Dallas, I checked on him,” declares the Lakers coach. “There, I asked him to trust me. He will always know what to expect with me. I will be frank with him. If he makes mistakes, I’ll tell him. »
| Christian Wood | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2015-16 | PHL | 17 | 9 | 41.5 | 36.4 | 61.9 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 3.6 |
| 2016-17 | CHA | 13 | 8 | 52.2 | 0.0 | 73.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2.7 |
| 2018-19 * | All Teams | 21 | 12 | 52.1 | 34.6 | 73.2 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 8.2 |
| 2018-19 * | MIL | 13 | 5 | 48.0 | 60.0 | 66.7 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 2.9 |
| 2018-19 * | NOP | 8 | 24 | 53.3 | 28.6 | 75.6 | 1.6 | 6.3 | 7.9 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 16.9 |
| 2019-20 | DET | 62 | 21 | 56.7 | 38.6 | 74.4 | 1.7 | 4.6 | 6.3 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 13.1 |
| 2020-21 | HOU | 41 | 32 | 51.4 | 37.4 | 63.1 | 1.9 | 7.8 | 9.6 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 21.0 |
| 2021-22 | HOU | 68 | 31 | 50.1 | 39.0 | 62.3 | 1.6 | 8.5 | 10.1 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 17.9 |
| 2022-23 | DAL | 67 | 26 | 51.5 | 37.6 | 77.2 | 1.3 | 6.0 | 7.3 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 16.6 |
| Total | 289 | 24 | 51.8 | 37.9 | 69.3 | 1.5 | 5.9 | 7.3 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 14.8 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
