Christian Wood has made just 10-of-26 shots (38.5%) in the last two games for the Houston Rockets, but he thinks he’s capable of more on offense — and not solely from the standpoint of making more shots.
After Saturday’s heartbreaking loss at Denver, Wood was asked about matching up with reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, and Houston’s big man clearly suggested that he’d like to be more involved on offense.
“Wasn’t difficult,” Wood said in Saturday’s postgame comments. “I think it could have been better if I was more involved in the offense.”
Through nine games for the Rockets, Wood is averaging 19.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. However, his shooting percentage is down from 51.4% last season to 46.7% this season, and his shots per game have slipped slightly — from 15.6 in 32.3 minutes to 15.2 in 34.5 minutes.
With Houston entering Sunday at 1-8 on the season and with seven straight losses, players are understandably putting pressure on themselves to help lift the team out of its current funk. As arguably the team’s most accomplished player, Wood is at the forefront of that list.
“We’re right there,” Wood said. “We’re fighting hard. It was a very winnable game for us. We’ve just got to finish it out and execute.”
Christian Wood on the difficulty of matching up with Nikola Jokic:
"Wasn't difficult, I think it could have been better if I was more involved in the offense."
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) November 6, 2021
