Christian Woods play, overall mentality a factor in Rockets rapid success: Everyone knows I

PHOENIX — Christian Wood is firmly settled into a courtside chair at Footprint Center, studying the left side of the floor as the rest of his teammates are winding down after an early-morning shootaround. He’s been given a thought exercise, finding his favorite and most comfortable spot on the court — a commonality among offensive-minded players.

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After some time, Wood’s lanky fingers point towards the space between the edge of the paint and the 3-point line. “The high block area right there,” he said confidently. It’s a spot that has been symbolic with some of the league’s premier scoring big men of the past — Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Dirk Nowitzki to name a few. As the global game has progressed over the years, there has been an onus on centers needing to have real floor-stretching in their arsenal so as to not hamper their team’s spacing, but the greats still have their sweet spots.

But why was it Wood’s choice?

“Gives me room to face up,” he explained. “I get to attack. I get the face up. I think I’m more deadly when I face up instead of back down. I think I’m more deadly in terms of spacing out.”

There was nothing particularly edgy about Wood’s response — it was a simple answer to a simple question. But it was more so a reminder of the mentality he has taken on this season, a reinvigorated, attack-minded aggression in the 26-year-old that has him playing some of the best basketball of his career — and has Houston riding a six-game winning streak.

Statistical growth is typically expected with young players over a year-to-year basis. With the right organization, system and coaching staff in place, development should be a smooth process. But it’s mental growth that separates the decent players from the good ones, the good ones from the great ones. Wood’s talent and potential has never been in question, but there was a certain switch that went off in his mind during this past offseason.

In early July, Team USA’s Kevin Love and Bradley Beal were forced to withdraw from the roster ahead of the Olympics due to injury and health and safety protocols. San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson was chosen to replace Beal, but with Love unavailable to participate, a shortlist of potential big-man replacements was drawn up — with Wood’s name part of the pool.

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He wasn’t able to play in a big chunk of the Rockets’ 2020-21 season due to a pesky ankle injury, but Wood flirted with a double-double on the nights he suited up, averaging 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks all while shooting 37 percent from behind the arc.

Numbers like that had him in some All-Star conversations despite Houston’s abysmal campaign, enough momentum for Wood to feel like he had a legit shot of getting a call-up to Team USA. Ultimately, the coaching staff — led by Gregg Popovich and flanked by Steve Kerr, Lloyd Pierce and Jay Wright — went in a different direction, as veteran center JaVale McGee earned the nod.

To some degree, Wood understood the decision. McGee had a good, longstanding relationship with Popovich and Kerr. But to him, it was just another incident of him getting slighted and overlooked. He didn’t take it well at first.

“It affected me a lot,” Wood told The Athletic. “Especially, you know, me being right there, them actually calling me and telling me to stay on standby and wait for them to call back and then seeing them go with a different route because of veteran presence. I kind of felt (it) a little bit, but I stayed focused. I stayed working in the gym, and I can only control what I can control.”

Almost immediately after the decision to go with McGee, Rockets lead assistant John Lucas decided to use it as a motivational tool. Clearly, there was something missing from Wood’s game that led the coaches to trust McGee with that level of responsibility. There was still more layers that Wood needed to peel back.

It was time to put his head down. Wood switched up his regular workout regimen, changed his diet and tweaked the areas of focus in his training. Miami was his preferred offseason destination, oftentimes working out with teammate John Wall. Head coach Stephen Silas visited Wood in Miami, and the pair had multiple lengthy conversations about the future. Their relationship had originated in Charlotte five years ago, with Silas an assistant and Wood still toggling back and forth with the Hornets’ G League affiliate.

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Silas expected big things from Wood and communicated that during those meetings. He wanted the Rockets to play a certain way — fast and uptempo — and that required a certain fitness level but also defensive versatility. That meant trusting Wood to handle himself against smaller, quicker players on the perimeter. Offensively, he would be more of a focal point than the season prior.

“He wanted to focus on certain areas in my game, how we were gonna play this year and how he was changing up stuff,” Wood said. “I feel like last year, I was in more drop coverages, and I was playing the five. So this year, I’m switching more on-ball screens. I’m guarding one through five, and I think he has that ability to trust in me. Him just being able to watch me in workouts, shoot the ball, trying to get to the rim and working on different areas in my game.”

Silas’ call for Wood to be more aggressive resonated deeply. Last season, he publicly admitted a lack of plays called for him, something that clearly frustrated him. Wood believes he’s skilled enough to warrant the respect of not only his teammates and coaches but also that of his more established peers. Anthony Davis, Wood’s former teammate in New Orleans, immediately came to mind.

Going up against Davis meant a lot to Wood, something he’s spoken about in the past.

Christian Wood (@Chriswood_5) on going against former teammate Anthony Davis (@AntDavis23): “There’s a few games that I’ve circled on the calendar..and playing against him and the @Lakers is definitely a game I circled.” pic.twitter.com/3l78EWHFgd

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) January 9, 2021

Davis had brushed off those comments nearly a year ago, but Wood’s competitive edge never waned. When the Rockets faced the Lakers twice earlier this season, it was clear Wood had something to prove. He took the game to Davis whenever the two were matched up, whether it was stretching the floor, driving to the basket or even taking the ball the full length of the floor and finishing over him.

“Just game reps as the games go on,” Wood said. “I know at times I gotta be more aggressive for my team. And you know, when we’re down, I have to assert myself and be aggressive. I told Jalen (Green) the same thing. You know, it’s that time. And when you have your shot and you’re open, take it. I see my ability to push the ball and attack in transition.”

Whether it was him naturally being more energized for a Davis matchup, him trusting his growing abilities or a combination of the two, Wood made sure to leave a mark in both matchups. Wood averaged 21.0 points and 14.5 rebounds in two close contests and was an aggressor for a young Rockets team on both ends of the floor.

“Yeah, for sure,” Wood said on added motivation in those meetings. “I said it last year, every single time I circled games against him and Giannis on my calendar, just because they were two of my favorite players to watch and I think we have similarities in our game. Not saying we’re the same player, but just saying like I see the similarities. And he’s a talented guy, a talented player just like Giannis, and there’s a lot you can learn from guys like that.”

Compared to last season’s offensive stats, Wood’s numbers are slightly down. But he’s still averaging 16.5 points, a career-best 11.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per night, all while shooting 37 percent from deep on nearly five attempts per game. There’s a different level of maturity, a newfound sauce to his game that is noticeable to everyone in the organization. In the past week, Wood has reached career highs in points (33), rebounds (21) and assists (six), clear signs of a developing, ascending player who understands his team and, more importantly, the system around him.

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This season, the game seems to have slowed down for Wood. During his first year in Houston, it looked, at times, like he wanted to do entirely too much in the half court and looked awkward. Now, Wood processes reads and developments faster, thereby making smarter, better decisions.

For instance, his screen setting has improved — an extremely important skill set for a big man. The Rockets went through an offensive funk in the opening games of the year, something that actually forced Wood to adjust his approach.

Wood knows when to set thundering, forceful screens and also when to set the quick touch-and-slip screens. He’s more aware of his roll gravity, the danger it presents to a defense and how that opens things up for his teammates. The Rockets can go to Wood in critical moments in tight games trusting that he will make the right play, as opposed to forcing up a bad look — something he might have done a year ago.

“I just felt like as the beginning of the season was going on, I saw myself not in pick-and-rolls as much,” Wood said. “So I tried to just find a way to set a lot of screens for Jalen or set a lot of screens for Scoot (Kevin Porter Jr.). Just opening up the floor and me rolling to the basket, I feel like it’s a problem and a nightmare. So the tag guy has to tag me, or somebody is gonna have to take me rolling to the rim — it’s gonna leave corner guys open.”

With added maturity comes added responsibility. While Wood may not be a Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid in terms of having an entire offense centered around one player yet, Silas has installed more plays to get Wood going.

Below is a variation of a set the Rockets have gone to during their opening possessions, one that utilizes all their weapons. Eric Gordon will curl at the free-throw line to set a touch-and-space screen for the ballhandler. At the same time, Wood will set a screen-and-slip, quickly drawing two defenders while Garrison Mathews and Jae’Sean Tate work their two-man game on the strong-side corner. The key is to keep the defense guessing and on their toes. Played to perfection, and it’s an easy roll to the rim.

In their very next game, the Rockets ran a similar opening set for Wood but had him flashing on the wing instead of rolling.

Aside from these, Wood said Silas has actually given him a number of play calls to use when he has the ball in transition, but he hasn’t used them yet.

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“He has that trust in me,” Wood said.

Coming into the year, the Rockets envisioned Wood playing alongside another big man, meaning he would slide to power forward. The thinking behind that move was allow a more defensive-savvy center (think Daniel Theis) to take on bigger, bulkier matchups and allow Wood more time on the perimeter.

But Wood moving back to center has unlocked him. For one, it’s given the Rockets real spacing, something that was nonexistent during their 15-game losing streak. Wood playing without another traditional big man has given Houston a much-needed lift during their winning streak.

A Tale of Two Positions

*Per Cleaning the Glass

Operating as the lone big naturally makes Wood more aggressive and vocal. Following this weekend’s 118-116 win over the Orlando Magic, Silas admitted during postgame that Wood was angry with himself and the team’s performance and demanded the ball more during the third quarter. Silas said that aggressiveness in turn opened things up for others on the floor.

Wood never has had an issue with speaking his mind or saying what he feels, regardless of the moment. This year has been more about him becoming a leader, especially with the team in the beginning of a rebuild and having drafted multiple rookies nearly six months ago. So when you see Wood barking at someone or clapping his hands in frustration, it’s coming from a place of love. He wants the best for his teammates, and he knows they can succeed.

“I’m honest, not even gonna lie,” Wood said with a big smile. “But it’s the same as this year. I’m more vocal than I was last year just because I have to step into a leadership role and lead these young guys. So I think I’m doing a great job at it.”

Houston’s surprising six-game win streak has resulted in the team winning in all sorts of ways. They have beaten some quality teams in Charlotte and Chicago and also have gotten the upper hand against other rebuilding groups (Oklahoma City, Orlando, New Orleans).

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But if there’s one constant in these victories, it’s Wood’s presence and, more importantly, why he’s on the floor. For a long time, the Rockets offense looked without much of a plan. There were too many moving parts, pieces that didn’t appear to fit and different agendas on the table. It wasn’t difficult to see why the team had lost 15 in a row.

With this new and improved Wood, Silas has a stabilizer that is deployable at all times. When the team looks to be in an offensive rut, unable to get things going, Silas brings Wood back in. Instantly, he’s calling things out and wanting to get his teammates in the right spots to settle things down. That’s the mark of a player coming into his own.

It’s incredibly important on a team that has a number of talented individuals outside of Wood. There are a lot of mouths to feed, and things can get ugly if an offense isn’t humming. It’s even more critical for a young team learning the ways of the NBA and how to get by on a game-to-game basis.

When Wood asks for the ball, he’s not necessarily asking for more shots. He’s still able to influence the game whether it’s finding offense for himself or the team.

“Settle guys down,” Wood said. “Not necessarily look for a play for myself, but just look for the best shot possible that we can get for the team. And I think that will go a long way.

“You see a lot of isolation with this team, a lot of one-on-one, and at times, once one guy goes one-on-one, another guy wants to go one on one. It’s kind of contagious. So my job is just to make sure everybody touches the ball. Make sure everybody’s not going to so many isos and it’s not as contagious. Because once you start getting contagious, it gets a little bad, gets a little stagnant. We start taking bad shots, and my job is just to make sure everybody’s cool, everybody’s touching the ball and tapped in.”

Wood’s new leadership approach might have fallen on deaf ears if he was only engaged on one side of the floor, but he’s embraced defending in ways he couldn’t last season. Less drop coverage and more switching has forced the Rockets to trust Wood to handle situations that can be uncomfortable for big men — defending a quick guard in space, for example. Wood’s footwork, timing and instincts all have improved to where he’s not putting Houston in a bind when he’s on the floor as a stretch five.

Wood’s individual defensive field-goal percentage (44.5 percent, per Second Spectrum) isn’t quite Rudy Gobert-esque, but he’s in good company with notable rim protectors like Joel Embiid (40.4 percent), Myles Turner (46.0), Deandre Ayton (42.8) and Anthony Davis (47.8).

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“I think I’ve done a better job than I was last year actually,” Wood said. “I think I’ve become a better defender, and I think I’m going to keep getting better defensive-wise. I have a big, big opportunity to be a great two-way player in this league.”

Wood missed out on the chance to be an All-Star during the 2020-21 season but would be honored to be named one this time around. He admitted that everything trickles down to team success at the end of the day, especially when it comes to the voting process, but if he keeps up his strong level of play and the Rockets continue to catch teams by surprise, an All-Star nod shouldn’t be out of the question.

“They kind of look at it as how is this person going to be an All-Star if his team’s losing?” Wood said in reference to last season. “He’s not helping his team win. I don’t know if it’s really an individual award or if it’s a team award, but I think that for sure goes into it.

“Everybody knows I want to be an All-Star. But I really just want to try and win as many games as possible. Winning more games than last year is my ultimate goal. And that’s really about it. Try and make everybody around me better.”

(Top photo of Christian Wood: Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images)

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