The Los Angeles Lakers have had a solid start to the 2023-24 NBA season, with their latest victory being an overtime thriller against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. While LeBron James' big game led the way for the Lakers, Christian Wood put together another solid outing off the bench for the Lakers in this one as he continues his unexpectedly strong start to the season.
After a strange season with the Dallas Mavericks, Wood signed with the Lakers this offseason to play behind Anthony Davis in the frontcourt. Wood's numbers aren't as big as they've been during some of his other stints in the league (8.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1 APG, 57.7 FG%), but he's always finding a way to make a positive impact for the Lakers, which has resulted in him having a team best plus-minus of +63.
Lakers Nation, how about some love for Christian Wood? pic.twitter.com/pc8lE9sALp
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 2, 2023
Christian Wood struggled to find his fit with the Mavs after a strong two-season stint with the Houston Rockets, and while he would likely prefer to be starting, he is making his mark for the Lakers in his role off the bench. Wood has been a consistent source of offense for Los Angeles' second unit, while also playing some strong interior defense, which has often been viewed as a weakness in his game.
The Lakers have to be thrilled with what they have seen from Wood to this point, and they will be hoping that his strong play off the bench continues. Finding a bigger role in Los Angeles' crowded frontcourt could be difficult, but if Wood continues to win during his minutes on the floor, the Lakers coaching staff will have no choice but to give him more game action as the season progresses.
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