Dejounte Murray #5 of the Atlanta Hawks maneuvers past Jarred Vanderbilt #2 and Christian Wood #35 of the Los Angeles Lakers.The Los Angeles Lakers anticipate the return of backup center Christian Wood to their lineup for the ongoing NBA first-round series against the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets.
As reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, Wood is slated to make his comeback from a knee injury in Game 3.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham stated in a press conference shortly after the news broke that Wood still needs to complete certain steps in his recovery and rehabilitation process before being cleared to play. Ham highlighted Wood’s attributes such as size, length, rebounding ability, and floor-spacing capability but emphasized the importance of ensuring he’s fully ready before considering his return.
Wood, who has been sidelined since February 14, has been averaging 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 46.6% from the field and 30.7% from beyond the arc in 50 regular-season games.
In comparison, Jarred Vanderbilt, who sustained a midfoot sprain on February 1, is farther from a return. Although Vanderbilt was seen wearing a boot ahead of Game 1, Ham clarified that it was merely a precautionary measure and affirmed that Vanderbilt’s recovery progress is on track without disclosing a specific timeline for his return.
Wood’s potential comeback will provide valuable depth to the Lakers’ frontline, which is currently understaffed. With only Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes available to contend with Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Wood’s presence will be crucial.
Despite Davis and Jokic matching each other with 32 points each in Game 1, the Lakers succumbed to a 114-103 defeat due to underperformance from their backcourt and reserves.
D’Angelo Russell struggled with his shooting once again, going 6 of 20 from the field,
while Austin Reaves managed only 13 points. In contrast, Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of the Nuggets combined for 34 points, with Murray adding 11 assists and Caldwell-Pope scoring all of his 12 points in a pivotal third quarter.
The Lakers’ bench production was minimal, with Taurean Prince contributing all 11 bench points. In contrast, the Nuggets received 17 points from their reserves, with Peyton Watson scoring eight points on 3 of 6 shooting.
Despite his poor shooting performance, Russell remained optimistic, expressing excitement about the opportunities he had to score and his confidence in his capabilities, aiming for redemption after his struggles in last season’s Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets.
