Draft Profile: Christian Wood

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By Taylor C. Snow

Christian Wood was a double-double machine this past season for UNLV, tallying 18 in 33 games. He hit the national spotlight in late December against No. 3 Arizona, when he scored a game-high 24 points with 10 rebounds, handing the Wildcats their first loss of the year.

Christian Wood is a long, lanky big man who eerily resembles the body type of Anthony Davis when the All-Star entered the league in 2012. Both players were measured at 6-foot-9 ¼ without sneakers and 6-foot-10 ½ in sneakers at their respective Draft Combines. Wood weighed in at 216 pounds, six fewer than Davis had. Davis has the longer wingspan by about two inches, but Wood has the advantage in standing reach by 3.5 inches. This is not to say that Wood is on par with Davis – he’s not – but there are some similarities. Like Davis, Wood is an athletic big man who can rebound and defend, and there is promise at the offensive end. He has a soft touch around the basket, oftentimes showing off his floater. He’s also very capable of taking the ball off of the dribble with both hands and has some range on his jumper. That jumper is currently unreliable from the outside but I see that improving if he puts in the work. He’s much stronger than he looks while playing at the offensive end. He fights for position and deals well with contact. He reminds me a lot of Zach Randolph with his ability to finish awkward shots around the basket. When he extends around the hoop, with that length and reach, it’s difficult to challenge his shot. With his athleticism and length, he could become a nightmare to defend in pick-and-rolls. He also runs the floor very well and is patient when dealing with double-teams. Wood was a great collegiate rebounder, using his length and timing to haul in misses. He’ll need to fight for position more often in the NBA if he is to translate his rebounding prowess, which means he’ll need to gain weight. I believe he has the frame to put on weight and strength. Wood is much more motivated by offense than he is by defense. He doesn’t play as strong at the defensive end and is oftentimes pushed around. He’s a great weak-side shot blocker but struggles on the ball. Adding that previously-mentioned weight and strength would go along way for him at the defensive end. Overall, he has a lot of potential. If the right coaching staff gets him, and he comes into the league motivated to be great, he could turn himself into one of the steals of this Draft.

By Taylor C. Snow

Wood was born on Sept. 27, 1995 in Long Beach, Calif. to Jeanette Stewart. He transferred from Knight High School (Palmdale, Calif.) to Findlay College Prep (Henderson, Nev.) – Avery Bradley’s alma mater – where he was given the opportunity to face some of the top competition in the country. During his senior season in 2012-13, Wood led the Pilots to a 35-1 record. They beat eight of the nation’s top-25 teams along the way and finished as the top-ranked team in the country. Wood saw limited time (13.0 minutes) as a freshman at UNLV, averaging just 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. But his patience paid off; he broke out this past season for the Runnin’ Rebels, averaging the most minutes (32.7), rebounds (10.0) and second most points (15.7) on the team. He also averaged 2.7 blocks per contest and was named Second Team All-Mountain West. Wood finished eighth in the nation in double-doubles (18); his most impressive performance came against Fresno State on Feb. 10 when he notched 27 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked seven shots. He declared for the NBA Draft on April 22.