'It Was Very Difficult': Christian Wood on Starting Season Coming Off The Bench

Whether it's coming off the bench or starting at center for the Mavericks, Christian Wood has flourished in his first season in Dallas.

The Dallas Mavericks (23-19) find themselves as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference heading into Thursday night's game against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Outside of Luka Doncic's MVP-caliber season, the addition of Christian Wood to Dallas' roster has elevated their ceiling. Since becoming a full-time starter, Wood has been a versatile two-way threat with All-Star upside.

Wood spoke with NBA.com about his first season with the Mavericks, his chemistry with Doncic, and his role on the team, including the start of the season where he came off the bench.

"Initially, it was very difficult. I'm going to be honest," Wood said. "But I stayed levelheaded. I knew I was on a new team, a team that had just gotten to the Western Conference finals. I just wanted to do anything that could impact winning, whether that's coming off the bench or starting."

Early on in the season, Mavs coach Jason Kidd was rather quiet on his reasoning for Wood not being in the starting lineup. Despite Wood's effectiveness on the offensive end, Kidd hinted at Wood's lack of defense being the main reason for him not being a starter.

"I came off the bench before in my career, so it wasn't anything new to me. It was about me embracing the role that the coaches put me in and how they see me fitting in with this team," Wood said. "I excelled in it. Then I started doing better and getting in rhythm and playing more games. Then I was starting with a couple of guys getting hurt, and I excelled in that starting role."

In 26 games coming off the bench this season, Wood averaged 17.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game in 26 minutes per game. In 14 games as a starter, Wood is averaging 19.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in just under 32 minutes per game. For the year, he's shooting 54.1 percent overall and 39.7 percent from deep.

Wood's chemistry with Doncic is undeniable, and he is unequivocally Dallas' second-best player and scoring option. But his arrival on the defensive end since being named a starter has raised the ceiling for this Mavericks team going forward. 

"It's game-by-game. But I'm happy to be starting. With a few guys being out, we're still able to win games. It's been huge for me," said Wood.

Based on how the team has performed lately, Wood should have no worries about leaving the starting lineup in the foreseeable future.

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