The Dallas Mavericks didn’t make many big moves in the offseason this summer.
The biggest move they made was actually no move at all: they lost Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks, a choice that many fans are still upset about.
But the team did land Christian Wood from the Houston Rockets and countless analysts saw a huge upside to signing the big man.
However, when head coach Jason Kidd announced that Wood wouldn’t be a starter, some were left shaking their heads – he’s got the talent so why wouldn’t he get those pivotal minutes?
He did quite well as a bench player but it’s now clear that he’s even better as a starter.
The Dallas Mavericks are 7-3 with Christian Wood starting.
In his last ten games, Wood is averaging 21-9 on 54-39-80 splits with 2.7 blocks per game.
Point blank: Wood and Luka together works.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) January 3, 2023
Basketball analyst Hardwood Paroxysm pointed out that the Mavs are now 7-3 when Wood starts.
In his last 10 games, Wood is averaging 21-9 on 54-39-80 splits with 2.7 blocks a game.
It’s no surprise that Kidd has been starting Wood a lot more often – the big man is really helping his team.
Instead of separating Wood and Luka Doncic, Kidd has decided to let them start games together.
And now the Mavericks are surging.
This move has been applauded by just about every fan of Dallas.
They all understand that Kidd wanted to have a deep bench and needed role players to step up when Doncic was resting.
But they also feel that Doncic needs all the help he can get when he’s on the floor – for far too long the biggest complaint about the Mavericks is that Doncic doesn’t get enough assistance.
Wood is doing far more than just assisting Doncic, he is lifting up the entire team and becoming a pivotal part of the roster.
His days of being a bench player might be over.
