Post
by rlee » Wed Jul 06, 2016 3:05 pm
From Ben Dowsett, Basketball Insiders:
Minus studs, Christian Wood shows out: Multiple teams rested a few key guys on the short turnaround back-to-back, most notably the 76ers. Already without star Ben Simmons as a precaution for cramps Monday, Philly also went without starters Richaun Holmes, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and TJ McConnell. All the absences in the frontcourt gave way to a starting nod and nearly 20 minutes for former UNLV standout Christian Wood, and for the second consecutive day his play stood out.
At 6-foot-10 with long limbs and athletic, Wood bounced between the NBA and the D-League last year after going undrafted and being signed by the 76ers. He was a potential first-round pick on some boards who reportedly fell for character-related reasons, and he’s showcasing the skill that had him on many teams’ radar a year ago. Wood poured in 19 points and seven boards on just eight field-goal attempts, draining two triples and drawing 11 attempts at the line. He was loud and active defensively from the back line, altering several plays with his length and strong timing on help defense.
Wood isn’t currently claimed by an NBA team, but don’t be surprised if that changes in the near future. Wood simply has too many skills for no one to take a flier on him – he has shooting range all over the floor, shot-blocking skill at the rim and has clearly put in work improving his strength and conditioning in the past year. He can over-extend himself at times on the floor, but a smart organization with good player development could fix that in a hurry. Wood looks every bit like an NBA rotation player early on this summer.