Is Christian Wood part of the answer to one of the Bulls’ issues?
Sweet-shooting big man Christian Wood is on his way out of Dallas with a report from Marc Stein stating that the Mavericks plan to “move on” from the partnership after just one season. With unrestricted free agency looming on the horizon, can the Bulls come calling?
It’s certainly a possibility. The Bulls need some frontcourt help, and Wood has proven he can be an effective stretch-big. He averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 37.6 percent from deep across 67 games with the Mavericks this season. Such numbers would come in handy for a Chicago team looking to give their offense more diversity.
Sweet stroke
The UNLV product is a modern-day NBA big man who can score inside and step away from the basket to knock down an open three. His ability to stretch opposing defenses would give head coach Billy Donovan another dimension on offense and help open up the floor for the Bulls’ other pieces.
And for a team that ranked dead last in the Association in both three-point attempts and three-pointers made, the possible addition of Wood would be a fantastic step in the right direction.
Porous defense
For someone as talented as Wood, one might wonder why he only started 17 games for the Mavericks and played just 25 minutes a night. Well, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd hinted at Wood’s defensive inadequacies as a reason for his decreased playing time.
Wood’s defense does leave something to be desired, but the Chicago Bulls could use him in their second unit to provide an offensive spark off the bench. That said, if this scenario pans out, it would be important for Wood to work on his defensive game in order for him to become a more valuable player. His offensive abilities are undeniable, but if he can improve on the other side of the court, he could be even more impactful.
