In L.A., Christian Wood can turn things around — or confirm his reputation
Los Angeles is a city where people flock from all around the nation and even the world to chase their wildest dreams.
While some make it big time there, many others fail to accomplish their goals for whatever reason.
It is said that the game doesn’t build character, it reveals character, and that seems to be an apt description of the City of Angels and what it tends to do to dreamers who head there to pursue lofty goals.
That seems to be the situation Christian Wood has now put himself into after reportedly signing a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. It was a deal that some had been expecting for a while, and now it is a reality.
On the surface, Wood has the potential to greatly help the Lakers. He can score, especially from the perimeter, and in today’s NBA, a team can seemingly never have enough players who can put the ball through the hoop. The Lakers are still a team that can more legitimate 3-point threats, and Wood can give them one.
However, for Wood to succeed in L.A., he will have to overcome a somewhat negative reputation he has developed over the last few years. More likely than not, his upcoming stint with the Lakers will prove that he is either worthy of that negative reputation, or that he has simply been a misunderstood soul who had the bad fortune of being in the wrong environment.
Wood is said to have some serious holes in his game — and his attitude
The book on Wood is while he’s a proven scorer, he’s the stereotypical NBA player who thinks he’s better than he really is and is entitled to more than he deserves. It’s what former Lakers head coach Pat Riley once called the “disease of more,” the tendency of athletes — and people from other walks of life — to keep demanding more and more until they’re asking for too much, too soon.
Over the last three seasons, the 6-foot-9 big man has averaged 18.1 points per game while shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from 3-point range. Those are very strong figures, especially for a player who has never been an All-Star.
But as Nick Angstadt, the host of the “Locked On Mavericks” podcast pointed out recently, Wood comes with some real baggage.
The big man has a reputation for being a poor defender, and Angstadt argued that at least some of it may be due to an unwillingness to give 100 percent on that end of the floor.
But the podcast host said Wood’s biggest problem is that he has an inflated sense of himself as a player and his abilities as a scorer, and that he may even try to step on Anthony Davis’ toes as far as being a top offensive option for L.A.
The Lakers have a clear hierarchy, especially on the offensive end — LeBron James is the leader and engine of the team, Davis is the No. 1 option, or at least they want him to be that, on offense, and Austin Reaves is now their No. 3 option.
For Wood to fit in, he will have to accept a lesser role and be content with seeing his touches and shot attempts going down while also being asked to contribute in other areas. It remains to be seen how he deals with that.
Wood can join a few others who rehabbed their reputation while with the Lakers
The great news for Wood is that this is an excellent opportunity to prove that he is a winning, team-oriented player. Even better, there is a clear precedent for players with poor reputations coming to the Lakers and turning things around in a short amount of time.
During his first stint in L.A., Dwight Howard started to gain a reputation as a me-first prima donna. He left the team after just one season, and afterward, that reputation only festered.
He returned to the Lakers in the summer of 2019 seemingly chastened, and he embraced a greatly reduced role off the bench while helping them win the NBA championship that season. That season did wonders for his image.
Metta Sandiford-Artest did something very similar back in the day. He signed with the Lakers in 2009 back when he was regarded as a ruffian who had anger management problems. But he was on his best behavior in L.A., and he played a key role in the team defeating the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals.
Since then, he has had a sterling reputation as a good human being who possesses a good and generous soul.
Going way back, Bob McAdoo, a three-time scoring champ and former league MVP, came to the Lakers early in the 1981-82 season after bouncing around the league and gaining a reputation as a selfish malcontent. But he accepted a role off the bench, started contributing in areas other than scoring and helped them win it all that season and in 1985.
At 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds, McAdoo had a build similar to that of Wood. Perhaps that’s the positive example Wood should look to model himself after now that he’ll be wearing the Purple and Gold and playing on a team that is capable of winning the world title.
