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The Los Angeles Lakers are all-but down and out against the Denver Nuggets, down 0-3 in the first-round playoff series. But help is on the way, with Christian Wood returning for Game 4.
Head coach Darvin Ham broke the news to reporters on April 27, ahead of Game 4.
Wood has been sidelined since February 14, when he injured his left knee and underwent subsequent surgery.
The eighth-year forward averaged 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 50 games with the Lakers this season.
He signed a two-year, $5.7-million deal to join Los Angeles this past offseason.
But how much of a difference Christian Wood will make in the series, with the Los Angeles Lakers already down three games to none, is to be determined.
His lone season with the team hasn’t been blockbuster.
Wood’s Impact a Perplexing One
Christian Wood is a long ways away from the Houston Rockets forward that averaged 21 points and finished 4th in Most Improved Player voting. That was four years ago.
His 6.9 points per game average with the Los Angeles Lakers is his lowest mark since he played 13 and 17 games with the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers in 2016-2017 and 2015-2016 respectively.
Wood played 46-percent of his minutes at small forward and 52-percent of his minutes at power forward for Los Angeles in the regular season, according to Basketball Reference’s Play-By-Play chart.
That means he’s served as a backup for LeBron James in over half of his minutes, attempting to fill the league’s biggest shoes.
Per Cleaning the Glass, in 837 possessions with Wood on the court and James off, the Lakers were outscored by 8.2 points per 100 possessions. That ranks in the 21st percentile among all NBA teams.
And to the surprise of none, with James on the floor and Wood off the floor, they outscored opponents by 3.3 points.
But in 832 possessions with both players on the floor, Los Angeles outscored opponents 12.1 points. That ranks in the 96th percentile.
Wood’s presence with the Lakers has been a perplexing one, filled with highs and lows.
He’ll get one last opportunity to audition for a roster spot in 2025-2026 in the series against the Nuggets.
How much time he’ll get to make a lasting impression is yet to be determined. Los Angeles’ clock is ticking.
Lakers Outlook is Grim
For the umpteenth consecutive year, Anthony Davis and LeBron James don’t have enough help.
Down 0-3 to Denver, they’re on the brink of being swept by Nikola Jokic and company for the second-straight year.
Combined, they’re averaging 58.6 points, 20 rebounds, 13 assists, 4 blocks, and 2.4 steals over three postseason games.
But they’re still winless. And it’s more likely that it stays that way than not.
To date, no team has ever come back from an 0-3 series deficit in the NBA playoffs. According to Land of Basketball, of all 151 series to open three games to none, only four have gone to seven games.
92 of those series have finished in four games, 44 have finished in five, and 11 finished in six.
But against the reigning champs, any outcome that represents the Lakers as outliers is unlikely an upset series win.
Even if Christian Wood returns to form in Game 4.
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