Rewind the clocks to 2023 and the Los Angeles Lakers have just made one of the best bargain signings of the summer. Fresh off of finishing in the top 10 in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2022-23, Wood signed a minimum contract to join the Lakers, with a player option for the 2024-25 campaign.
On paper, it was a decision that should've helped Los Angeles take another step toward contending. Unfortunately, on-paper expectations rarely reflect the events that transpire on the hardwood.
Wood appeared in just 50 games with the Lakers during his first season with the team. He missed every game after the All-Star Break and struggled to find his footing before then en route to what ultimately amounted to a disappointing introduction to Los Angeles.
In a recent story posted to Instagram, Wood made it clear that he's back at 100 percent and ready to show Lakers fans what he's always been capable of producing when healthy.
“I'm back yall ..and l'm coming back next season with a vengeance.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 25, 2024
Christian Wood sending a message to fans ahead of the 24/25 season 😳
(via chriswood_5 / IG) pic.twitter.com/DAnTKLGkF8
The Lakers will rely on their starters to provide the most consistent impact, but Wood is a former Sixth Man of the Year candidate who should return to that status in 2024-25.
Christian Wood is healthy and ready to help Lakers contend
Wood, 28, boasts career averages of 13.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 offensive boards, 1.4 assists, and 0.9 blocks in 23.2 minutes per game. Those figures translate to 21.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.1 offensive boards, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 blocks per 36 minutes.
Wood produced in a similar manner in most areas in 2023-24, but his scoring dipped from 23.1 points per 36 minutes in 2022-23 to 14.3 this past season.
It was an uncharacteristic decline by a measure of 8.8 points per 36 minutes—something that's at least somewhat rational to write off as an outlier season. From a per 36 perspective, it was his worst scoring season since 2016-17.
In fact, Wood hadn't averaged less than 20.9 points per 36 minutes since 2016-17—and had averaged at least 22.0 points per 36 minutes in four of the previous five seasons.
With this in mind, it's easy to envision a scenario in which a healthy Wood is able to return to his scoring ways as soon as this coming season. If he does, the Lakers could take an immediate step forward—primarily in the crucial area of weakness that is the second unit.
Los Angeles' bench ranked No. 27 in the NBA in offensive rating during the 2023-24 regular season, making Wood's scoring prowess a potentially crucial element of JJ Redick's rotation.
Furthermore, the Lakers played at a genuinely dominant level when Wood shared the court with Anthony Davis and LeBron James last season. Over the course of 216 possessions, Los Angeles produced a net rating of 23.7 and ranked in the 99th percentile in offensive rating and 97th percentile in defensive rating.
Even during a down year, Wood proved that he can be the ideal complement to Davis and James. Now, he must stay healthy and anchor the second unit.