Painful memories flashed through Christian Wood’s mind when he signed a $ 41 million three-year contract at the Houston Rockets office in November.
Not written.
Dismissed by several NBA teams.
Cut by a team in China before even playing.
Numerous passages in the G League.
Despite everything, Wood believed in himself and was finally rewarded for it in this off-season.
“The long-term contract meant a lot to me,” Wood, 25, told The Undefeated in a telephone interview on Sunday. “He showed me how much I worked and how much I went from a minimum and unsecured contract to being fired several times that I couldn’t tell you to sign three years, $ 41 million. It’s incredible.
“I don’t want to be arrogant, but I actually think I am worth more than that.”
The center pivot averages 23.6 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game in a Rockets squad that also includes stars James Harden and John Wall. Candidate for Best Player of the Year at the beginning, Wood has been a bright spot for a Houston team that has dealt with the consequences of Harden’s recent switch request.
Rockets ‘first year coach Stephen Silas, who was Charlotte Hornets’ assistant coach when Wood was there during the 2016-17 season, said he would give “C-Wood” an “A” until now.
“Get some success under his resume and people getting a chance to see what he can do. And now that the [center] the position changed a little, helped him, ”said Silas.
“In Charlotte, he was a boy. But now he has matured and is fine. He is very good. “
FROM UNDRAFTED TO JOURNEYMAN
Wood entered the 2015 NBA draft after his second year at UNLV, where he averaged 15.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. ESPN.com designed it as a runoff choice, but Wood believed he could be picked at the end of the runoff by the Los Angeles Lakers or Memphis Grizzlies.
On draft night, he got together with family and friends for a draft party in a hotel suite in Las Vegas. But not only did the Lakers and the Grizzlies overtake him, so did the other 28 teams. Wood described it as one of the “worst nights” of his life and later heard that his work ethic was questioned by NBA teams. At just 19 at the time, Wood began to question himself as well.
“It was a dark moment when I thought, ‘When will I have a job in the NBA? Will I be able to support my family? ‘It was difficult, ”said Wood.
“But I got over it. My faith, my mindset after that was just, ‘Destroy everyone and show the world what you can be.’ “
Wood would actually start his professional career with the Rockets, playing on his summer league team in 2015. But Houston didn’t offer him a contract, so he signed a minimum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. Wood played sparingly in 17 games during the 2015-16 season and spent most of his time with the G League Delaware 87ers, averaging 17.3 points and 9.4 rebounds.
The following season, he signed with Charlotte, but it was more of the same. He played sparingly in 13 clashes with the Hornets, although he averaged 19.6 points and 10.1 rebounds playing for the League G team, the Greensboro Swarm. Silas saw Wood’s potential, but added that much growth was still needed at the time.
“I saw a very talented player doing a lot of different things,” said Silas. “But he was young and inconsistent.”
After playing for the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns summer league teams in 2017, Wood received no NBA offers, so he signed with the Chinese Basketball Association’s Fujian Sturgeons. But about a month after Wood’s arrival, the Sturgeons hired another former NBA player, Mike Harris, and ended up dismissing Wood before the season began.
Madeira saw the cut in China as an alert.
“That was probably the biggest test for me in my life,” said Wood. “I think that I have talent for the NBA and that I can play in the NBA, and then [Fujian] cutting me. They are saying that I am not good enough. They don’t think I’m ready to play for the CBA. It was kind of crazy for me and that’s when the light changed.
“I had no other option after that. I was cut off from a team before that and then I was pulled out of China. Now, I’m here looking for a job in the NBA. So, I have to do everything in my power to try to join the team, which means being a G Leaguer. “
Wood averaged 23.3 points and 10.4 rebounds in League G with the 87ers during the 2017-18 season, but never played a game for the Sixers. During the 2018-19 season with the Milwaukee Bucks, he dominated with the G League Wisconsin Herd, averaging 29.3 points and 14.1 rebounds. But Wood would only play 13 games for the Bucks and ended up dismissed, leaving him wondering today what could have happened if he had joined twice MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“I was just wondering why I couldn’t get on the ground and what I had to do to try to get on the ground to play with this team. I understand that, at the time, (the Bucks) were the No. 1 team in the league. But I was presenting such good numbers, ”said Wood.
The New Orleans Pelicans claimed Wood’s rights on March 20, 2019, and it was there that Wood said Pelicans’ then-coach Alvin Gentry helped change his career path by giving him the opportunity to play. Wood would make the most of his time in New Orleans with an average of 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in eight games. The then-new general manager of Pelicans, David Griffin, would dismiss Wood on July 15, 2019, to hire owner JJ Redick, but despite being cut for the fourth time, Wood was confident he was on the verge of a breakthrough.
“Most guys would give up or say that this is not for me after maybe the second or third time being dismissed by a team,” said Wood. “And maybe even give up after being cut from a foreign team. But after that, what comes next? I would just say, ‘Just have that resilience and never give up on you. You got here. You bet on yourself. Keep betting on yourself. ‘”
Houston Rockets’ Christian Wood kicks the ball during a game against the Denver Nuggets on December 28, 2020, at the Ball Arena.
Garrett Ellwood / NBAE via Getty Images
breaking
Former Detroit Pistons assistant general manager Malik Rose saw Wood’s talent, but said that several small things continued to damage Wood’s reputation off the court after the 2018-19 season. Rose pointed out immaturity, punctuality and focus issues as the main ones.
“You hear all things,” Rose, now vice president of NBA basketball operations, told The Undefeated. “It was never malicious. Knucklehead stuff. Late for training. Late for a bus. I can’t concentrate on one piece. Missing a training session. I tend to give younger players, especially millennials, more of a chord with that. I remember when I was 21, 22, I didn’t make the best decisions either. “
Rose and the Pistons claimed Wood’s exemption on July 17, 2019. They were the only NBA team that made a claim for Wood’s exemption, a source said. Wood ended up beating veteran guard Joe Johnson, who was dealing with injury problems, for the final spot on the Pistons 2019-20 list.
Pistons coach Dwane Casey quickly fell in love with Wood’s game on both ends of the court and pushed for him to join the team. Part of Wood’s growth came from Casey’s hard love when he made mistakes or failed games and training.
“I know he is talented. I’m trying to teach you how to be a great player, ”Casey told reporters in Detroit last season. “I went to the wall to make sure he was here. It is doing the right thing. Behaving the right way. If he did, he probably wouldn’t be on five different teams, because he is a very talented young man. It will be worth it for him. “
Wood averaged 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game in 62 games with the Pistons during the 2019-20 season. He also hit 56.7% on the pitch and almost 40% in the 3-point range. After the All-Star break, Wood rose to another level, averaging 24.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.0 block per game before the pandemic ended the Pistons season on March 11.
Wood credits Casey for his season of discovery.
“He always trusted me. I was always playing behind Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin at the time. But [Casey] I would say, ‘This boy is talented. We just have to give him a chance in the system and get it right. And that is what he did, ”said Wood.
Wood’s strong game made him an intriguing free agent in low season. The Pistons were interested in signing again with Wood, but an NBA source said they were not interested in paying more than $ 8 million a year. Then, on November 20, Wood agreed to sign and negotiate with the Rockets.
The deal would earn him $ 13 million in his first season, after making $ 4.3 million in his previous NBA stops. This would bring him together with Silas. And that gave him the chance to play with two All-Star guards.
“I like to play with James and John,” said Wood. “We have a great relationship. James is one of the best pick-and-roll guards in the league. And I think I’m one of the best pick-and-roll bigs in the league. You put us together, it’s a tough pair to stop, especially in end of game situations. And then having John back, and if he can keep the game he’s playing now, then we’re a tough team to beat in the West. ”
It took a while, but Wood finally has security in the NBA. Don’t expect him to be satisfied, however. He now has the pressure to stand out in the NBA, instead of just clinging to a squad spot.
“He has a lot to prove,” said Silas. “We have a lot to prove as a team. But he started well. “
Wood has individual goals of becoming an All-Star this season, winning the NBA Most Improved Player award in 2020 and winning another contract when he becomes a free agent again at just 27 years of age. More than anything, it still has a disadvantage.
“I feel humble from the start,” said Wood. “This is a new beginning. And I am very grateful. “