The Los Angeles Lakers made a significant addition to their team during the offseason by signing Christian Wood in September. However, when a player is available late in the offseason, there are usually concerns. Wood had several of these concerns, including his history of playing for multiple teams and questions about his effort and locker room presence, especially during his time with the Houston Rockets. But his biggest weakness by far has been his defense.
According to most advanced metrics, Wood has been a significant defensive liability throughout his NBA career. He has never had a positive Defensive Box Plus-Minus and his Defensive EPM last season ranked in just the 12th percentile league-wide. Despite strong performances alongside Luka Doncic last season, Wood faced reduced minutes on the Dallas Mavericks due in part to his defense. After signing with the Lakers, Wood expressed motivation to improve after his experience in Dallas.
Although Wood hasn’t earned the minutes he desired with the Mavericks, he is making the most of the playing time he’s receiving by focusing on the aspects of the game that the Mavericks couldn’t get him to do. In a game where the Lakers were facing a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit and the possibility of a 0-2 start, Wood had arguably the best defensive quarter of his career. For a significant portion of that 12-minute period, Wood defended one of the NBA’s best scorers and held his ground.
While Wood wasn’t the primary defender against Kevin Durant, he did have his opportunities to guard him. On crucial plays, Wood stayed close to Durant, resulting in missed shots and turnovers.
Both Wood and Anthony Davis, despite not having the typical size of a center, possess exceptional positional athleticism that allows them to execute dangerous defensive plays. Their ability to move effectively creates significant challenges for opponents. Together, they were able to disrupt Durant’s vision and force turnovers.
Even though Wood couldn’t completely shut down Durant, he and the Lakers held him to just seven points in the competitive portion of the fourth quarter, after Durant had scored 30 points in the first three quarters. Wood made Durant work for his shots, demonstrating effort and commitment on the defensive end.
After a difficult year with Jason Kidd, Wood seems to have impressed Lakers’ assistant coach Darvin Ham. Ham praised Wood’s commitment and defensive improvement in the game against Durant. Playing for the Lakers, a team that made it to the Western Conference finals last season, provides an environment that is more conducive to defensive growth compared to Wood’s previous teams. Wood has yet to play in a playoff game despite playing for seven different franchises in his career, but his experience with Ham during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks could prove beneficial.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis as teammates, Wood has the opportunity to learn from accomplished veterans and benefit from Davis’ defensive abilities. While Wood may never become an elite defender, his performance against Durant shows that he can be a strong defender, especially in a more stable and supportive environment. Wood’s commitment to defense and his performance against Durant have exceeded expectations.
