Big man Christian Wood was one of the Los Angeles Lakers’ unanticipated heroes in their triumph over the Charlotte Hornets. Wood has played just five minutes in the Lakers’ last five games, with three DNPs, after playing 30 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs on December 15.
However, Wood saw action in 23 minutes off the bench versus Charlotte, where he finished with nine points, five rebounds, and four assists in the Lakers’ 21-point triumph. It was wonderful to see Wood make a significant contribution as he has been in and out of the rotation like many other Lakers role players.
Players may find it difficult to have their minutes change in this way, but Wood was able to maintain his lock by keeping up his efforts both on and off the court.
When asked how he stayed prepared, Wood replied, “Just me doing conditioning, lifting, and watching a lot of film.” identifying areas for improvement. We’ve been really poor at 3-point shooting, so I believe it will be important for me to step in and hit some baskets.
Wood was a perfect 3-of-3 shooter from deep this evening, so he definitely brought the shooting for the Lakers. One of his greatest assets is his 3-point shooting percentage of just 31.3% this year, however, he has struggled offensively as a big man. Thus, it meant a lot to him to see some shots land.
Austin Reaves of the Lakers commends Christian Wood’s effort on the glass.
Even though Wood’s shooting was the main attraction, Austin Reaves noticed something else about his Lakers teammate: Wood’s glass-rattling, which Reaves brought up following the victory.
