Worst Landing Spot: Portland Trail Blazers
You don’t need to be a Rocket scientist (sorry) to figure this one out. If you paid attention to the Portland Trail Blazers last season, you already see where this is going.
The Blazers had the worst Defensive Rating (117.93) in the NBA last year. Ironically, they were the only team worse than Wood’s Rockets on that end of the floor. If they’re looking to build a contender around Damian Lillard this summer, they can’t afford to ignore that.
After all, poor defense has plagued this Portland Trail Blazers team during much of Lillard’s time in Rip City. Much of that has related to the diminutive backcourt pairing of Lillard and CJ McCollum. Still, if the Trail Blazers are looking for a fresh start, they ought to get off on the right foot.
The Portland Trail Blazers need a contending level second option, a rim protector, and a couple of quality perimeter stoppers. Realistically, Wood is none of those things. He’s got a lot of value on a basketball floor, but it would be better used elsewhere.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Teams Pursuing Rockets’ Christian Wood In Trade Talks Already
It’s been a strange career journey for Wood. He’s one of the most talented undrafted players in the league. Effort and character concerns have limited his role to date. If he finds a new NBA home this summer, here’s hoping he can correct those issues and make it his last one.
