The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their first round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night and one thing that was apparent for head coach Darvin Ham’s team was their lack of size.
The Lakers did not use many resources to address the center position last summer or at the trade deadline and it seems to be costing them as Denver outrebounded L.A. 49-40 in a 114-103 victory.
Anthony Davis played 45 minutes for the Lakers in the contest and was exceptional but needed more help on the interior.
One player who can potentially help with that is backup center Christian Wood, who has been out for the last couple months after undergoing knee surgery.
The Lakers have not provided any recent updates on Wood, but according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the big man is planning to return in Game 3 on Thursday back in L.A.:
Lakers F/C Christian Wood is planning to return to action in Game 3 vs. the Denver Nuggets on Thursday in LA, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. A key boost to Lakers frontcourt. Wood, out since Feb. 14 due to knee injury, has averaged 7 points and 5.1 rebounds this season. pic.twitter.com/DknRfbwpfx
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 21, 2024
Considering Wood has not played since Feb. 14 but in 50 games for the Lakers this season averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds.
It’s unclear what type of shape he will be in when he returns and he certainly will need time to find his rhythm after missing so much time. With that being the case, it’s hard to imagine Ham just throwing Wood into the fire against a team as good as the Nuggets with the stakes being as high as they are.
Having a healthy Wood gives the Lakers another option with size and the ability to space the floor though, so it’s good to have that option there if Ham wants to go to it. Jaxson Hayes has been getting the backup center minutes in Wood’s absence and has played well, but Ham didn’t seem to trust him with the 7-footer only playing four minutes in Game 1.
D’Angelo Russell excited for opportunity to bounce back for Lakers
One player who the Lakers really need to get going if they want to beat the Nuggets is starting point guard D’Angelo Russell. He struggled in Game 1 to the tune of 13 points on 6-of-20 shooting but said afterwards that he is excited for the opportunity to potentially bounce back in Game 2.
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