Over the past couple of months, the Los Angeles Lakers had been keeping tabs on former Dallas Mavericks big man Christian Wood. While not the biggest name in NBA free agency, he could give them a major boost.
Wood isn’t a good defender by any means, but he’s a very polished offensive repertoire. He can score from all three levels and stretch the floor with his three-point shooting skills.
However, and even though Jaxson Hayes will also come off the bench, Darvin Ham doesn’t want Davis starting next to Anthony Davis, and he’ll have him come off the bench instead.
Lakers Won’t Start Christian Wood
“The early expectation is that Wood will come off the bench with Rui Hachimura the likely frontcourt starter next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, according to team sources,” Jovan Buha of The Athletic wrote.
“At a minimum, Wood will be the primary backup center behind Davis while occasionally teaming with him in two-big lineups,” he added. “He should average around 20 minutes per game when everyone is healthy.”
Of course, that could be an issue with Davis, who has made it publically known that he doesn’t like playing at the five. Of course, it could also change at some point in the season.