While he was excellent in 2020-21 when able to play, he missed 31 of 72 games due to injury - primarily in the form of persistent ankle issues. The biggest area of needed improvement for Wood is durability. At this point, Wood isn’t nearly as dominant or consistent as elite big men such as Anthony Davis (who he watches closely), but a similar template for high-level success is there. It’s certainly not unfathomable, since versatile big men who can exceed 20 points and 10 rebounds per game while shooting well from 3-point range are rare commodities. Wood believes he’s still improving in many areas, including leadership, and he hopes to become a “ max player” by his next contract. His stint next to Kelly Olynyk after the trade deadline showed Wood could succeed at power forward. Wood also proved to have more positional versatility than the Rockets first expected.
An agile big man, Wood is a threat in both pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop situations - with the athleticism and touch to finish inside and the shooting ability to hit 3-pointers.ĭefense and playmaking for others were considered weaknesses for Wood earlier in the season, but he showed growth in both areas as 2020-21 progressed. 4, Wood was making a serious push for All-Star consideration. Prior to a severe right ankle sprain on Feb. That gamble paid off in a big way for Houston, with which Wood’s production was able to translate over a larger sample and role. It was a calculated gamble on an emerging talent who had yet to have a consistent role as a starter, which made some teams hesitant to offer major money (based on it being a small sample).
2015 HOUSTON ROCKETS ROSTER FREE
The Rockets acquired Wood in 2020 free agency through a sign-and-trade deal with Detroit.
2015 HOUSTON ROCKETS ROSTER PROFESSIONAL
Professional Experience: Five NBA seasonsĬontract Status: Signed through 2022-23 season at approximately $14 million per year Rockets Player: Christian Wood, 6-foot-10 forward/center, 25 years oldĢ020-21 statistics in Houston: 21.0 points (51.4% FG, 37.4% on 3-pointers), 9.6 rebounds, 1.2 blocks in 32.3 minutes per game To access other reviews in this ongoing series, click here.) ( Editor’s note: We are reviewing all players from the Houston Rockets who finished the 2020-21 season on regular contracts, i.e.