One day after falling short against the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 it was reported that the Los Angeles Lakers were going to get some reinforcements. Big man Christian Wood will reportedly return to action in Game 3 of the series on Thursday after having knee surgery back in February.
Wood had an up-and-down season with the Lakers and while he may not be the difference-maker that will result in a title push, he is important for this specific matchup. The Lakers have to throw size at the Nuggets, as evident by the fact that Jaxson Hayes actually got playing time on Saturday night.
With Wood back in the fold, the Lakers could turn to him instead of Hayes, especially in those critical non-LeBron minutes. This could also have a ripple effect on the rest of the five and could keep Darvin Ham from playing his three-guard lineups, which he trotted out there in Game 1 against Denver.
It is not hard to see why Lakers fans got excited about this surprising Wood update. However, it did not take Ham very long to instantly ruin the moment, downplaying Wood's return and making it seem like he won't play any type of role in this series.
Darvin Ham says Christian Wood is still going through his rehab process after undergoing knee surgery in February and “still have a couple boxes to check” before LAL would consider using him against the Nuggets
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 21, 2024
Darvin Ham rains of Lakers fans' Christian Wood parade
So it appears that Wood is going to be medically cleared to be in the rotation on Thursday but Ham is not committing to him playing any type of role for the team in this series. That is a real shame, as this (and against the Minnesota Timberwolves) is the one series where the Lakers could use Wood the most.
Nikola Jokic has admitted that his toughest matchup in the NBA Playoffs was when the Lakers had Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee to throw at him alongside Anthony Davis. Wood being a part of the rotation would simply give the Lakers another big to throw at Jokic, and more importantly, would not be a zero on the offensive end like Hayes.
Perhaps Ham is downplaying the situation and does not want to give the Nuggets too much intel. There definitely could be a showmanship aspect of his comments and that is simply what Lakers fans have to hope for at this point.
But if Ham is serious, and Wood is not going to play any type of role against Denver, then it is simply another disappointing development in what might end up being a very disappointing series.