The Dallas Mavericks suffered a very tough loss to open their 2022-23 season, as they watched the Phoenix Suns rally all the way back from a 22 point deficit to pull out the win. Had Jason Kidd opted to stick with Christian Wood at center, there's a chance that this loss could have been avoided entirely.
Christian Wood came off the bench in this game, despite the Mavericks giving up a pretty big package to acquire him this offseason. It didn't matter, as Wood still managed to score 25 points, including 16 straight to close the third and open the fourth quarter. But then Kidd subbed him out with six minutes left in the game, and everything fell apart for Dallas. Wood doesn't fault his coach, though, and took the high road when discussing Kidd's decision afterwards.
“I’m just happy to be a part of this team. Late in games, it’s just a trust thing. I have to build the trust with this team. I’m on a new team. Once I do that, I think we’ll be good.” – Christian Wood, Sports Illustrated
The good news for Dallas is that Wood doesn't have a gripe here, but it's clear Kidd made the wrong call taking Wood out of the game, especially considering how good he had been playing in the fourth quarter. Wood was the Mavericks second best player on the night, and no one else in the frontcourt came close to matching his production.
Wood should be starting for the Mavericks moving forward, and it will be interesting to see whether Kidd rights his wrongs from Dallas' first game of the season. It's clear Kidd made a mistake here, and while Wood doesn't blame him, that may not be the case if he continues to make the wrong calls.
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