The Dallas Mavericks are off to a decent start to the 2022-23 season but have already put on one of the most impressive displays of failure. The Mavs blew a 16-point game against the Oklahoma City Thunder before losing in overtime. A Luka Doncic triple-double couldn't get Dallas the win and Jason Kidd pointed out a reason why after the game: Christian Wood.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the Mavs head coach dissed Wood for his defense as the Mavs lost in overtime to the proverbial tankers in Oklahoma City despite playing in Dallas.
“We left [Christian] Wood out there with that group and it didn’t go well on either end,” Kidd said, via ESPN. Kidd went out of his way to point out that he kept Wood in the game but then singled him out or the poor play the team had with him in.
Article Continues BelowWood has garnered a reputation for being a poor defender over the past few years. He was on the court when the Thunder came back and did make a few mistakes. However, the Mavs loss was not at all squarely the fault of Wood. His teammates let Shai Gilgeous-Alexander get buckets. Inserting Maxi Kleber into the lineup for overtime didn't prevent a Thunder comeback, either.
The Mavs have brought Wood off the bench this season, his first with the team. He is averaging 19.0 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 59.6 percent from the field through five games. Kidd is making it clear that he doesn't trust Wood's defense very early in the season.