Big man Christian Wood is now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, and although it is a gamble, it could pay off big if he accepts his new role.
Over the last few years, Wood had been a featured player, first with the Houston Rockets and then with the Dallas Mavericks last season. He averaged 18.1 points and 8.9 rebounds a game while shooting 50.9% from the field and 38.1% from 3-point range during that span, which are certainly excellent numbers.
Buy Lakers TicketsBut former NFL star cornerback and current “Undisputed” commentator Richard Sherman, who is a long-time Lakers fan, went overboard when he compared Wood to a former Hall of Fame Lakers big man (h/t The Cold Wire).
.@RSherman_25 likens the Lakers acquisition of Christian Wood to Pau Gasol: pic.twitter.com/94OMoBgf0L
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) September 6, 2023
“Pau Gasol, a Lakers great, jersey just went in the rafters — during his Lakers career averaged 18 (points) and nine (rebounds), or 18 and 10. This boy coming in is averaging 18 and nine over the last three years — 38 percent shooting from three — I feel like he’s going to be a great asset. I don’t understand why we got him for this price.”
The price the Lakers signed Wood for is reportedly $5.7 million over two years, which seems like an incredible bargain for such a potent offensive player. However, he has a reputation for being an abysmal defender and for an attitude of self-entitlement, which is why he was available for the NBA equivalent of crumpled-up $1 bills found under one’s couch cushions.
Wood is a very good NBA player, at least offensively. But he is certainly no Gasol, who had 1,001 ways to score, especially in the post, and had numerous big games in the playoffs to help L.A. win back-to-back world championships in 2009 and 2010.
