Even when things were going badly, when they were their most discouraging for the Rockets, the play of Christian Wood was a bright spot. The Rockets were losing. Their star wanted out. But their prized free agent addition demonstrated why the Rockets had coveted him so.
Wood had been the Rockets’ most reliable, consistent player. But now that things had turned around, with wins in six of seven games including three Wood had missed with a sprained ankle, the bright spot went out.
Wood’s sprained right ankle on Thursday in Memphis is considered far more serious than when he turned his ankle Jan. 22 against the Suns. An MRI on Friday confirmed the sprain with the Rockets saying he “will be reevaluated on a weekly basis,” indicating Wood could be facing a prolonged absence.
As with when he sprained the ankle last month, when he insisted on returning for the second half in an attempt to lift the Rockets from their skid, he sought Thursday to at least take his free throws on Thursday as if there were a chance that if he did, he could return to the game.
There was no chance. He was convinced to accept help off the floor and to a waiting wheelchair.
The Rockets had lost seven of nine games when Wood went out last month. They have won six of seven with their win on Thursday. But even with a sense that they are equipped to compete without an essential starter again, the injury has the potential to be deflating, derailing momentum heading into Saturday’s game against the Spurs before a road back-to-back to Charlotte and New Orleans.
The Rockets, however, seemed more concerned with Wood amid his breakout season than for themselves having to play without him.
“Christian missed … three games when we started our winning streak and Boogie (DeMarcus Cousins) was in the starting lineup,” guard John Wall said. “You hate to see something like that happen but it’s always the next man up. The most important thing for C-Wood is he’s having a heck of a year. Take care of your body. Get treatment. Do the little things.
“For us, we have to keep playing and keep rolling. We never wish him to be out because he’s a big part of our team, the way he spaces the floor, the way he creates for himself, the way he catches lobs, makes the job easier for us. But now the next got to try to step up and try to fill that void.”
There is a considerable void to fill. Wood has averaged 23.3 points, third among NBA centers, and 10.7 rebounds this season.
Cousins, however, has been his best when starting. He has averaged 15.3 points and 14.3 rebounds in his four starts this season, seeming to get him going after a struggling start to the season.
In the Rockets’ run through six wins in seven games, including four after Wood came back from his previous ankle injury and Cousins returned to his role coming off the bench, Cousins averaged 12.7 points on 45.7 percent shooting and 42.5 percent 3-point shooting. In his first 11 games this season, he had averaged 6.1 points on 26.4 percent shooting.
Cousins’ turnaround began when he had a few games starting, but that is nothing new. Throughout his career as a starter, Cousins averaged 21.6 points, 11 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 32.3 minutes per game, making 46.1 percent of his shots and 33.4 percent of his 3s. He’s come off the bench 36 times in his career, including 15 games this season, averaging 9.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists, making 38.8 percent of his shots and 28.6 percent of his 3s.
Behind Cousins, the Rockets will have to go with a small lineup, using 6-5 P.J. Tucker or 6-4 Jae’Sean Tate as a floor-spacing center. Those lineups have worked well for the Rockets in recent weeks, largely by switching defensively rather than with the variety of schemes available with Wood.
The Rockets’ top-rated lineup this season (with more than 10 minutes played together) has been Eric Gordon, Danuel House Jr., David Nwaba, Sterling Brown and Tate, outscoring opponents by 83.8 points per 100 possessions though in a small sample size of just 15 minutes in three games.
The Rockets are likely to stick with those options but could have options to consider if they want to bring in help. The Rockets are flush with trade exceptions ranging from $1.6 million to $10.65 million that could be paired with a pick or combination of picks. They have their mid-level exception if there is a free agent they would like to bring in.
In most cases, however, they would seem unlikely to make a significant move to help with depth while Wood is out unless that also makes sense when he is back.
Their success since the trade of James Harden has given them reason to see how things go in the nearly two months before the March 25 trade deadline.
Wood’s injury is unlikely to change the calculations much unless the Rockets struggle greatly without him. The lesson so far this season is that the obstacles are unavoidable but can be overcome.
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February 06, 2021 at 09:26AM
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How Rockets can try to fill void left by Christian Wood - Houston Chronicle
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