As the Rockets' main center, Christian Wood's statistics have not been bad, he can average 17.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.5 steals and 1 block per game this season, shooting 46% from the field, for a mobile center who is good at shooting from outside, Wood's personal offensive performance is still acceptable. The question is that Wood's defensive ability has been poor, how many points he can score, and how many points or even higher he can get to the opposing player in a game. In other words, Wood's "imbalance" makes it difficult for him to turn his stats into winnings. This problem has been apparent last season, and this season has been even more so, and it has not changed in the slightest.
The Rockets have received three straight losses after losing to the Pacers, and their record has slipped all the way to the bottom of the West. However, for the Rockets, whether they can enter the playoffs this season is not the goal, the Rockets have two goals, one is to let the young players on the team, especially Jaylen Green, Shen Jing and other rookie players get the opportunity to grow and exercise; second, continue to fight for the title, after all, last season, the Rockets and the Champions signed each other, this season the Rockets are obviously running to sign the title, and there are also many talented newcomers waiting for Raphael Stone's choice at next summer's draft meeting.
Originally, the Rockets already had a rookie, Jaylen Green, and if they got another rookie (or a rookie with a high pick), then Wood, as the "core" of the Rockets, would naturally decline further, which Wood did not want to see.
So for the Rockets, they want to sign the lottery, and if they want the pick, it will inevitably be bad, but for Wood, the Rockets get the high pick, which also means that a new talented rookie will become Wood's "competitor". Wood naturally can't accept this, after all, as the "star center" of the Rockets, Wood has always been immersed in the atmosphere of being the "Rockets boss", and from time to time he will reprimand his teammates in the game.
The arrival of the next high-pick rookie is likely to continue to threaten Wood's position on the team, so in Wood's eyes, the Rockets win more and avoid high-pick picks are the most beneficial things for him. Take a look at what Wood said after the Rockets' loss to the Pacers, a game in which Wood was visibly unhappy, writing on his social media: "I love Houston, we're getting back together!" ”
That said, Wood doesn't approve of the 3-game losing streak and bottom-of-the-West rankings, and he wants to get the Rockets back on the path of 7 straight wins. Only then will the Rockets' roster next season be without new entrants joining and threatening Wood's status as boss.
We can also understand this, we also know that Wood was not selected in the draft, the previous years he has been wandering in the NBA teams, always in these teams "short work", not to join a period of time after being cut, traded, or in the NBA there is no ball to play, but also to go to the CBA to find the opportunity to play. Now that he has become the core of the Rockets and has received a 3-year contract, Wood naturally wants to continue to be the core ace of the Rockets.
Getting the Rockets back together to win while avoiding the next super rookie is a two-pronged affair for Wood. But for the Rockets, it's definitely something they don't want to see, rookies are the future of the Rockets, and the 26-year-old Wood is just a passerby for the Rockets, and he's not in the Rockets' long-term plans.