Entering the offseason, the Detroit Pistons biggest decision is what to do with breakout star Christian Wood. We break down the logistics of that decision.
Nearly a year ago, one of the biggest stories around the Detroit Pistons camp was whether Christian Wood or Joe Johnson would win the final roster spot. Wood was undeniably talented but could never seem to stick with a team while Johnson was coming off an MVP performance in the BIG3.
66 games later, the question is now: can the Pistons keep Wood on the roster moving forward?
It’s a remarkable turnaround for the 24-year-old big man who played 51 games for four teams in his first three years. The Detroit front office and coaching staff finally gave him a chance and he rewarded them handsomely.
Wood channeled his talent into elite offensive production throughout his year in Detroit, posting an incredible 65.9 true shooting percentage on 23 percent usage. And he did it in ways far beyond just being the garbage man he was often portrayed as prior to this past regular season.
His great athleticism and timing did bring many high-percentage opportunities around the rim, and he proved that he can do that with a larger workload over a bigger sample size. But Wood also showed that he can be a key part of a good offense moving forward. This year made it quite clear that the talented big man can score efficiently in a number of ways that can help win games.