Houston Rockets: James Harden trade and other must-follow storylines
By Dalton Sell
2. Christian Wood’s ascension
Christian Wood had a breakout year in 2019-20, and fans were justifiably excited when the Houston Rockets inked him to a three-year deal worth $42 million in free agency. Playing alongside Harden and Wall will surely elevate Wood’s game further, and that is something he has expressed excitement about. Transcribed by RocketsWire’s Ben DuBose:
"“I think playing with those two, they’re gonna make me a star. Through practices and one preseason game, we felt the chemistry between each other. We haven’t even had a full season together. The sky’s the limit for us.”"
Nevertheless, with Houston’s roster depleted throughout the first two games of the season, Wood has been fantastic. Although a small sample size, the big has averaged 27 points on .548/.571/.667 shooting splits, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and 1.5 blocks per contest. After having spent the first four seasons fighting to make an NBA roster, Wood finds himself in a position to develop into a star, and he has shown the potential early in Houston. As stated by head coach Stephen Silas:
"“It’s been really good. I mean, he’s so versatile, and to have players that can draw attention away from him? Now he’s attacking closeouts, or they draw a second defender, which happens to be his defender, and now he can play to his strengths. It’s going to be an ongoing process that’ll probably have a little bit of ups and downs in it, because stuff like that doesn’t usually just start good and stay good. There’s usually some bumps in the road along the way. But we have the tools to allow him to kind of do his thing, and when he’s doing his thing at a high level, it’s good for everybody.”"
At 25-years-old, Christian Wood has plenty of room left to grow, and his potential seems limitless at this moment. Time will tell how he meshes with the rest of Houston’s highly acclaimed roster, but the future looks bright for the budding star. If he can sustain this high level of play, Wood could be a prime candidate for this season’s Most Improved Player honors.