Trail Blazers NBA Draft prospect: Christian Wood

Christian Wood among top NBA Draft prospects for Portland Trail Blazers (23rd pick)

Dec 20, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UNLV Runnin

Player: Christian Wood
College: UNLV
Position: Power Forward
Height: 6’11”
Weight: 216 lbs
Wingspan: 7’3.25”
Age: 19

*All information current*

Wood worked out for the Trail Blazers on Wednesday morning, along with a slew of other draft candidates, so it is likely that Portland is at least considering him. He is thought to be the “high risk, high reward” player that will be available in the 20-30 range this year. With the right development, Wood can pan out like a lottery pick. However, he is incredibly raw. If the Trail Blazers are comfortable drafting a project player with high upside, Wood is a good choice.

Offense

Wood has nice touch for a player his size, and decent range to boot. He uses his threatening presence as a shooter to lure defenders off-balance and then punish them at the rim. His relative quickness and incredibly long strides make him hard to catch once he has an open lane. Unsurprisingly, he excels in transition as well. At this point, though, his reliance on agility is a bit of a double-edged sword. He can beat slower big men in the mid-range, but struggles to establish low post position because he lacks strength.

Defense

Wood’s combination of speed and length is ideal for affecting shots. He recovers quickly at the perimeter and can be counted on to have a hand up when he is in the shooter’s vicinity. Shot blocking comes easily to him. What he lacks in physicality, he makes up for in timing. Unfortunately, his positional instincts are still fairly weak, as you will often see him allowing too much space in the low post or getting lost in the pick and roll. He has the physical tools to be an asset, but needs developmental attention first.

Biggest strengths

Though many of Wood’s skills are at that concerning “work in progress” level, rebounding is not one of them. That same length and timing that allows him to affect shots makes him exceptional on the glass. He is ideal for the Trail Blazers’ tap-back approach to keeping plays alive, but he also finishes well inside should a second chance opportunity arise. Add in his proficiency as a face-up shooter in the mid-range and his offensive versatility is apparent. His skill set will only expand as he fills out. At 19 years old, Wood has a high ceiling, but may take a long time to reach it.

Biggest weaknesses

Strength. Strength, strength, strength, strength. Strength. A power forward that is sub-par in post-up situations is not ready to contribute right away at the NBA level. Wood has difficulty backing down his man. As a result, he doesn’t get a lot of deep entry passes. On top of that, his reliance on length to finish over opponents has left him with a dearth of post moves. He is easily flustered by double-teams, not a particularly smart passer, and doesn’t move the ball well on his own. His game needs a lot of work.

College statistics

Wood averaged 15.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game for the Runnin’ Rebels in 2014-15. Although 16-and-10 is a lofty goal to duplicate as an NBA rookie, that sort of production is not out of the question in the long run. He led the team in rebounds per game by more than double the next-best rebounder. Subtracting out the 3-point attempts that dragged his field goal percentage down to 49.7 percent, he made a stellar 56.3 percent of his shots.

Overall fit

Think of Wood as that one coin in your change charge that is too obscured by rust and dirt to make out the value. It looks and feels like the other quarters, but there is a golden glint when you turn it in your hand. In order to find out if it is indeed the Sacagawea dollar you suspect, you’ll have to put in time to polish it. If the Trail Blazers strike gold with Wood, he could be valuable in their thin frontcourt, but there is still that nagging doubt that after all that polishing they will be left with a very shiny button.

Christian Wood video via CampusInsiders

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