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LA Lakers big man Christian Wood was a late addition to the team’s injury report ahead of their home matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. After initially being listed as questionable, Wood was ultimately ruled out due to a migraine.
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Wood joins forward Rui Hachimura (calf) and guard Gabe Vincent (knee) on the sidelines for LA. However, fortunately for the Lakers, the big man is not dealing with an actual injury, as migraines are classified as an illness. So, he should be considered questionable for Saturday's road matchup against the Utah Jazz.
After falling in and out of the Lakers’ rotation earlier this season, Wood has been coming on strong lately. Over his last four games, he is averaging 11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 3-pointers per game on 54.8% shooting.
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For the season, Wood is averaging 7.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.7 bpg and 0.8 3pg on 48.0% shooting through 33 games.
The Lakers (19-19) are 17-16 with Wood and 2-3 without him.
Also Read: Christian Wood's baby mama Yasmine Lopez shows off latest $2,164 Chanel purchase
Darvin Ham on Christian Wood stepping up his game
Christian Wood’s recently improved play appears to have earned the respect of Lakers coach Darvin Ham.
After LA’s 132-131 home win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, Ham touched on Wood’s positive impact as LA’s primary backup center. He praised the 28-year-old for “keeping things simple” and playing sound team basketball.
“It's huge, man,” Ham said. “I know there's been a lot of noise about rotations and minutes. But at the end of the day, my man has settled into that backup five role. … He's become more and more comfortable with his teammates, he's understanding the guys he's out on the floor with and the rhythm in which they play with, he's finding his spots and he's keeping it simple.”
Before Wood secured his place in the rotation, the Lakers had been struggling to get consistent bench production out of big man Jaxson Hayes. Through 31 games, Hayes is averaging just 2.9 ppg and 1.8 rpg on 65.5% shooting. Outside of being a lob threat, he hasn’t offered the team much else.
However, Wood has provided much more versatility to the Lakers’ bench, particularly with his floor-spacing ability. He is shooting 33.8% from deep on the season and 40.0% over his last four games.
Wood’s focus and defensive effort have been questioned on numerous occasions throughout his eight-year career, with many accusing him of being an “empty stats” player. However, as of now, he appears to be the Lakers’ clear-cut best option to back up star big man Anthony Davis.
In Photos: $5 million-worth Christian Wood surprises mother with dream home
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