5 things Dallas Mavericks fans learned from 2022 media day

Christian Wood embracing role on winning Dallas Mavericks

Head coach Jason Kidd was the first to meet with the media on Sept. 25, and he made it clear that JaVale McGee and Spencer Dinwiddie would be joining the Mavs' starting five, which means Wood will come off the bench.

Wood averaged 19.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.0 block over the last two seasons with the Rockets, but they were one of the worst teams in the NBA. The 6’10 forward is excited about joining a winning environment and having a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in his NBA career.

Wood is embracing the work, and he had this to say about what he has already done with assistant coach Sean Sweeney to be ready for the season.

"I don’t know if you guys know, but that guy has been killing me in the gym. I’ve been here two or three months, before everybody even got here. I’ve been doing one-on-one workouts straight with him, so I’m in pretty much the best shape of my life right now, so thank you, Sean Sweeney."

Fans were worried that there would be drama from Wood about coming off the bench, but the 6’10 forward made it clear that he wants to win, and he is committed to doing whatever it takes to do that.

Wood will not start on opening night, but he should play starters minutes and have a chance to be the Mavericks' second-leading scorer this season. Expect his playing time and team victories to matter more than starting.