Why New Laker Christian Wood May Have Been Doomed In Dallas From The Start

Since it was announced that center Christian Wood was signing with the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week, it has been met with much praise. After all, LA is getting him for a small amount of money, and he has the ability to help them greatly.

Wood was left as a free agent by other teams due to the questions that surrounded him. His defense is still a work in progress, and he has been called out for his focus at times. But there is no denying the fact that he is a great offensive player.

He had some issues during his time with the Dallas Mavericks, but it has now come out that it may have not been all his fault. Tim MacMahon of ESPN has reported that Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was never a fan of Wood and didn’t want him on the team.

“Straight up, Jason Kidd did not want Christian Wood,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said. “That trade was made without J-Kidd signing off on it.”

Per Tim MacMahon of ESPN

If this is true, then Wood was set up to fail from the start. A player can only truly thrive if the coach believes in them, and it is clear that wasn’t the case in Dallas.

LA will try to get the most out of its new center, and it stems from the leadership they have in place. Both LeBron James and Anthony Davis will make sure that Wood is doing his job by holding him accountable. This may be exactly what he needs at this point in his career.

Wood has also already played for head coach Darvin Hame during their time in Milwaukee together. So, he is familiar with Ham, and Ham is familiar with him.

It’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward signing for the Lakers that could have a major impact on their season. Wood is worth the risk, and he will be trying to help them win Title 18 this year.