Is Christian Wood ready for extended role with New Orleans Pelicans?

To this point, Christian Wood’s time with the New Orleans Pelicans has been impressive. Can he keep this up and claim a prominent role with the team moving forward?

Before joining the New Orleans Pelicans, Christian Wood went undrafted in 2015. He sat and witnessed sixty names get called, his being exempt. Not being deterred, Wood worked relentlessly to find his way into the NBA. And now that he finally got his first legitimate opportunity, look for him to build off it and establish himself as a prominent piece with the New Orleans Pelicans from here on out.

One Door Closes, Another Opens

All Christian Wood wanted was an opportunity. He had brief stints in the NBA, but nothing stuck. Milwaukee saw the raw potential the 23-year-old possessed, but roster implications disallowed Wood to find a role within their rotation. They needed guards, not forwards. So, in March, they waived him. That opened the door for the Pelicans to take a chance on the young man who wanted to prove he belonged. And thus far, he has done just that.

Wood has been something of a revelation in the eight games he’s seen action in as a member of the Pelicans. Playing just over eight minutes in his debut, Wood accounted for seven points, hitting his first shot with the team via an open three. His steady play resulted in more minutes and gave Alvin Gentry confidence that he’s ready for the moment. In fact, Christian Wood had been ready for the moment for quite some time now.

That chance never arrived in Milwaukee. But it’s here now. Wood averaged 16.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks on an efficient 53 percent from the field in the 23.6 minutes of action he saw with the Pelicans. His debut saw about 8 minutes of action. In the season finale, he saw nearly 34. In that final game, he put up 26 points and 12 rebounds on 10/21 shooting against the defending champions. When called upon, he’s been ready for Gentry.

Extended Role Within the Rotation Moving Forward

Wood, at the very least, has proven that he should be incorporated within the Pelicans rotation next season. His freakish athleticism, insane length, and overall physical prowess compliment his skill as a big man nicely. He can put the ball on the floor and blow by defenders bigger than him. And at 6’10, 214 pounds, he can bully his way into the paint and finish through contact.

His face-up game in a triple-threat position has been welcome as well. At multiples times down these stretch of games, he’s been able to knock down face-up jump shots and stretch out beyond the perimeter to drain the long ball (though in that aspect, he still needs to find a bit more consistency).

On the defensive end, he’s very active as well. Wood moves well for a big man with those aforementioned physical abilities. He can provide a solid volume of blocks and steals. The Pelicans have also been able to play small ball with Wood and Randle manning the frontcourt, and they have looked good. Wood can be used in different looks, producing with both Randle and Okafor on the floor alongside him.

Room for Improvement

It’s easy to get ahead of ourselves, and though his play has been spectacular, the sample size is not exactly significant. With his athletic gifts, if he can figure out a way to knock down perimeter jump shots at an efficient clip, his game would be problematic for the opposition. And though his activeness on the defensive end has been nice to see, his overall positioning still needs improvement. But these are all intangibles that will come with repetition and getting more accustomed to his role within the team while getting further acclimated with teammates.

The Right Mindset and Attitude

Pelicans fans have been no stranger to discouraging attitudes as of late (let’s not mention anyone in particular). However, you could not ask for a better attitude than the one Wood possesses. He’s overjoyed to be here, he’s gotten his sought after opportunity, and he’s looking to capitalize on it.

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We can only speculate how this offseason turns out, but one thing we do know: If Christian Wood is given an extended role next season, he’ll be ready to contribute for the New Orleans Pelicans.