The Dallas Mavericks are taking full advantage of a soft spot in their schedule. They have struggled to find consistency at times this NBA season, but are handling business recently against teams with losing records or missing key players.
Dallas defeated the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day 124-115, their third straight victory. It was the Luka Doncic show once again, as he finished the game with 32 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. However, he was aided by a big game from Christian Wood as well.
Wood was excellent, scoring 30 points with eight rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and two blocks in 38 minutes. Los Angeles had no answer for him, with Anthony Davis sidelined as he was making an impact on both ends of the court on the perimeter and interior.
As pointed out by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Wood put together that huge game on the same day that he was eligible for a contract extension. After the game, Wood was asked about a potential extension with the Mavericks, giving a positive response about the situation as shared by Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
“I’m happy to be here,” Christian Wood told ESPN when asked about the possibility of an extension. “That’s what I’ll say. The vibe is good. … I’m open to it.”
Wood has had a strong first year in Dallas, averaging an efficient 17.8 points per game as he is making 54.1 percent of his field goal attempts overall and 38.3 percent from 3-point range. He is pulling down 8.0 rebounds as well to go along with 1.5 assists and 0.9 blocks.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Christian Wood & Dallas Mavericks Updates
While there were some concerns earlier in the season about his usage, those have seemingly been resolved. Wood came off the bench in his first 22 games of the season and 25 out of his first 26. His minutes were not consistent, especially late in games, which is something that he openly opined against.
Head coach Jason Kidd has finally come to his senses in recent games as Wood has started the last five games and played well. His presence in the starting lineup takes some pressure off of Doncic, as they are a dynamic duo offensively.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Christian Wood & Dallas Mavericks Updates
Now that he seemingly has a set role, Dallas could be a long-term home for Wood, who has never spent more than two seasons in a row with the same franchise. If he is open to signing a four-year, $77 million deal, the Mavericks should push for that deal as Wood would be a steal at that annual average for the next four seasons.