What Happened to Christian Wood?

The Los Angeles Lakers’ bench depth has been a significant concern throughout the season.

This is especially true of the frontcourt. Due to injuries, the Lakers’ big-man rotation has been limited to Anthony Davis, Jaxson Hayes, and Christian Koloko. 

Current Rotation and Roster Limitations

Hayes has been an effective backup to Davis.

At the very least, he can use his athleticism to fill up bench minutes effectively. But Hayes has been spending time on and off the injury report. Some major off-court concerns with Jaxson could also limit his time in LA and maybe even the NBA. 

Koloko has been an effective bench rim protector lately but has spent a few years out of the NBA. While this was due to medical concerns, much of Koloko’s game is still raw. He is undoubtedly an exciting prospect but likely cannot be helpful in a playoff rotation. 

The lack of this frontcourt depth has led LA to struggle with rebounding, where the Lakers rank third worst in the league. Without Davis on the floor, LA’s defensive rating has also taken a noticeable hit. The Lakers give up 2.7 points more per 100 possessions without Davis on the floor.

The Missing Piece

These concerns have highlighted one crucial missing piece: Christian Wood.

Wood picked up his player option in the offseason to rejoin the Lakers. The goal was to be an effective rotational piece in the Lakers’ playoff pursuits. Over 50 games last season, Wood was quietly effective. He added some unexpected defensive versatility and averaged over five rebounds per game in 17 minutes. He also added another layer of effective rim protection for LA to rely upon and was able to use his length to contest on the perimeter. 

Wood’s expectations for this season were low the second he opted into the veteran minimum. Unfortunately, even that low bar has not been met. Christian Wood has yet to play a single game for the Lakers.

In the offseason, Wood suffered a nagging knee injury and required surgery before the start of training camp.

This surgery was surprising, and fans wondered why Wood couldn’t have had it earlier in the offseason. Still, the expected timetable for recovery was about two months, and fans expected to see him back.

However, as Christmas inches closer, Christian Wood still shows no signs of returning. During his recovery, Wood suffered a setback, further accelerating his recovery.

Wood is now projected to play in January. He is currently engaged in stationary shooting drills and has only recently been cleared for on-court work with the coaching staff. 

Looking to the Future

What’s concerning about this is the toll it will take on Anthony Davis and Christian Koloko.

Koloko is already ramping up after recovering from a serious medical condition. An Anthony Davis injury is every Lakers fan’s nightmare, but the load he has to carry is unsustainable.

The following steps seem apparent, as they have for months, but it remains unclear if the Lakers will pursue any trade. Jonas Valanciunas has been rumored in the media.

One thing is crystal clear— the Lakers need Christian Wood back if they hope to build a sustainable and effective frontcourt rotation.