Lakers Role Player Ready For Breakout 2024 Season After Down Year

John Robinson | Aug 26, 2024

Dec 31, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) looks to pass the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood (35) and guard Max Christie (10) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The last two seasons by the Los Angeles Lakers ended in disappointment leading the front office to move off head coach Darvin Ham in favor of legendary NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick. Lakers fans have voiced their frustrations with the team's decision makers due to their inability to maximize the talent around the All-NBA duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

During the 2023-24 season, Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss faced a lot criticism for how they managed the Lakers roster. Most members of the NBA community believed that adding a third star alongside James and Davis would amplify the Lakers chances of reaching an NBA Finals. The front office elected to keep the core roster they had already established and would enter the playoffs as originally constructed.

The Lakers would go on to lose in the first round of the playoffs by Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. In an interview back in February, Rob Pelinka spoke about the decision to not make any major moves at the trade deadline.

“We talked a lot about continuity at the beginning of the season, we really like the players on our team and we’re confident in this group of players. Of course, that said, my job is to always look for ways to upgrade our roster. But you can’t buy a house that’s not for sale. We spent a lot of time looking for ways to use assets to make our team better but the right move wasn’t there.

“It’s a thoughtful and tricky calculus at times when the trade deadline’s upon us. I think our fans understand that this season is incredibly important and we’ll be very aggressive with our open roster spot.”

In Pelinka's defense, the Lakers were riddled with injuries last season with players like Jared Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, and Christian Wood missing significant time.

Fortunately for Lakers faithful, big man Christian Wood took to Instagram to let fans know that he's ready to perform at a high level this season. Wood could be a valuable piece to this Lakers offense if he is able to remain healthy. A career 37.2 percent 3-point shooter, Wood could carve out a productive role as a stretch big and frontcourt partner for Anthony Davis.

Christian Wood sends a message 👀 pic.twitter.com/MAviPRAeXi

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 25, 2024

Wood seems ready to put a down year behind him a make a big impact for the Lakers this season.

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