Christian Wood Reveals Truth On Drastically Reduced Role With Lakers

Christian Wood joined the Los Angeles Lakers in the game against the Dallas Mavericks. It was a loss for the Lakers and Wood didn’t have a big role on the basketball court.

The Mavericks let Wood go and he had a chance to get a revenge. He said before the game, “I know it’s my former team. I definitely want to go at those guys.”

Wood played 15 minutes in the game and delivered one point, one shot attempt, and five rebounds. His role changed over the years and he is happy to embrace it.

“I’m not playing a role I played the last four or five years, which was being a high-usage guy, taking a lot of shots,” Wood said after the loss, per the LA Times. “Playing this role player role, where I’m trying … if the team needs help with rebounds, I have to try and help rebound. And whatever they need to do, I’m there to do. Some nights, they’re going to run plays for me, some nights they’re not. I just got to be prepared for that.”

Lakers gave Wood a different role in the regular season

Wood had one terrible season with the Mavericks. The team got him from the Houston Rockets, hoping to turn him into a dynamic pick-and-roll partner and interior scorer. It didn’t happen. His issues on the defensive end of the game and the inability to bond with Doncic forced him out of Dallas.

The Mavericks had a chance to extend Wood, but decided to let him go. They had no interest in keeping him on the roster.

Wood tried to get the best of his new role with the Lakers. He will have to get used to “doing the little things to help out the team.”

“Maybe if I had five points, five rebounds and was a plus-15, I think that’s a great night for me,” Wood said following the loss to his former team. “That would be impacting winning. I’m not putting up 20-and-10s, 30s-and-20s and all this other stuff anymore. I mean, I can when given the opportunity. But this year, I think it’s just more about doing the little things to help out the team.”