Lakers Center Available For Crucial Elimination Match

Lakers center Christian Wood is available to play in Los Angeles’ vital elimination match after a knee injury kept him out for months.

Lakers Center Available For Crucial Elimination Match

After undergoing surgery on his left knee due to effusion, Christian Wood will be off the injury list for the first time since February 14, per head coach Darvin Ham. Wood, noted for his elite scoring skills and solid shooting, missed the majority of the Lakers’ playoff push in the later stages of the season. The power forward eyed a return to the court in Game 3, where the Nuggets beat the Lakers by seven points, but did not suit up despite going through shooting drills on the court.

Wood’s injury, along with Jarred Vanderbilt‘s sprained foot, severely impacted the Lakers’ frontcourt. They’ve come to rely extensively on star players Anthony Davis and LeBron James, while veteran forward Taurean Prince and wing Rui Hachimura have also seen increased minutes.

Wood Has Tough Time With Lakers

Wood joined the Lakers on a two-year, $5.7 million deal over 2023’s free agency period. The move saw Wood take more of a diminished role than on any other team he played for in a long time, especially thanks to the injury. He started one game this season while averaging just 6.9 points per game, 5.1 rebounds, and one assist. It’s a steep fall-off from averaging 16.6 points per game with the Mavs and finishing ninth in the Sixth Man of the Year Award voting.

Wood is seeing struggles with playing time, a challenging fight against the effusion in his knee, an alleged fall-out with Ham, and troubling screenshots emerge during his time with Los Angeles.

“I think this year, for me, has been different than any other team I’ve been on. I’m playing a different role than I’ve ever played before,” Wood said. “But the coaches see that I’m trying to do the little things whether it’s scoring, whether it’s not scoring, whether it’s rebounding or affecting the game in other ways, I try to be a positive on the floor.”

Could Wood Make a Difference?

With the Lakers down 3-0 in the series, Ham needs to try anything to at least save face and avoid the team’s second straight playoff sweep. A possibility could be Wood, who has had solid defensive performances in games past. The Lakers have struggled to contain Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, who exploded for 29 points and 14 rebounds, as well as Nikola Jokić.

“It’s tough,” head coach Darvin Ham told The Athletic after the loss in Game 3. “Got to figure out a way to get one on Saturday to stay alive.

“They [Denver Nuggets] have a championship confidence,” Ham said. “That starting group has been together for a long time. Their net rating is off the charts as a starting group. They had guys step up and make plays.”

With the Lakers’ frontcourt rotation suffering injury after injury, Wood has a chance of seeing minutes in Game 4. The only problem for Ham? Wood is often criticized for his attitude, lack of motivation, and lazy defense at times. Rumors also say Wood is frustrated with his situation coming off the bench and being a role player for Los Angeles.

It’s also likely that Wood could see no minutes at all. Not only has Wood not played a game in over two months due to his injury, but it’s widely expected both in and outside of the Lakers organization that the Nuggets will convert their 3-0 lead and eliminate the Lakers at some point. Wood may want to stay fresh entering the off-season and avoid reaggravating his knee, especially as his future with the Lakers remains clouded.