3 reasons why Christian Wood didn't work on the Dallas Mavericks

When Christian Wood was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, a lot of fans thought he and Luka Doncic would be the next great Dallas Basketball tandem like Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash. However, that all changed on Tuesday night.

It was announced on Wednesday that former Mavericks Center Christian Wood signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. I think that a lot of Mavericks fans were relieved when the Mavericks didn't re-sign him this offseason.

Wood really didn't work out with the Mavericks for a lot of reasons, and those reasons were clear by the end of the season as everyone seemed to know that he wouldn't be returning.

Let's take a look at each of these reasons why Christian Wood didn't work out with the Dallas Mavericks.

3. Christian Wood was a defensive liability

I think we all know the main overall reason why the Mavericks decided to back off on giving Christian Wood an extension. He was just an all-around terrible defender. According to Clutch Points Writer Rexwell Villas, Wood finished for a second straight season with a defensive rating of 113 which is the worst he's had in his career.

I remember watching him last season get burned at the rim by tons of forwards and guards. Now, not all of Dallas' defensive issues were all on Wood. There were other players that contributed to that terrible statistic.

The only way the Mavericks could put out the fires on defense a bit was by taking Wood off the court. That's why Dallas Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd was so afraid to put in Wood in the second half of the season.

2. Christian Wood didn't have the best attitude

You could tell throughout the season (and especially at the end of the season) that Christian Wood did not want to be in the city of Dallas. It even goes back further than that when he was with the Houston Rockets. According to Space City Scoop, they mentioned in their article that Wood had some maturity issues that led to the front office looking for a trade partner. He refused to go into a game and was suspended for one game by the organization.

You could even see his maturity issue on September 6 when Christian Wood announced he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. In an interview after signing with the Lakers, he mentioned that he can't wait for a bigger role compared to his role in Dallas. I could see why the Mavericks were trying to trade him late in the season at the trade deadline, and even considering working out a sign-and-trade this offseason.

There have even been rumors that every coach that Wood has had hasn't wanted him. Here's Wood's first statement as a member of the Lakers that throws shade at the Mavs.

Wood's statement seems very distasteful to say after the Mavericks wanted to give you an opportunity to compete for a title and make the playoffs for the first time in your career. When I saw the news broke Tuesday night, I was hoping that he would thank the Mavericks fanbase. His statement that he made basically sealed ever returning to the Mavericks organization.

Personally, that statement tells me Dallas made the right decision to pass on him this offseason and go after a veteran center like Richaun Holmes. You can tell that Holmes is grateful for the opportunity to put on a Mavericks jersey and to do whatever it takes to go win an NBA Title.

1. Christian Wood wasn't the best offensive fit outside of playing with Luka Doncic

Although this reason may not be obvious, let me explain. Wood really worked well with Doncic as a pick-and-roll partner last season. Whenever these two players were on the floor, they looked like they had played basketball together for a long time.

According to D Magazine writer Iztok Franko, midway through the season last year, Dallas averaged 122.1 points per 100 possessions with Wood and Doncic on the floor at the same time. That seems excellent, considering it was his first season with the organization.

However, this next detail may shock you. When Wood was on the floor without Donic, the Mavericks would average 107.9 points per 100 possessions (at the time the previous stat was taken). It seems that the only player that Wood could really play well with was Doncic.

That's pretty problematic and was another reason why he didn't work out with Dallas. If Wood had been a better defender and flowed better in offense when Luka was on the bench, Dallas could have made the playoffs last season and possibly have gone on a nice run.

In conclusion, these are the three reasons why Wood didn't work out with the Mavericks. Wood is a great basketball player who is extremely skilled offensively, and deserves to keep playing in the NBA.

However, he just didn't work out with the Mavericks organization, and both parties needed to go their separate ways.

Mavericks fans probably already have their calendars circled for November 22 when the Lakers will face off against the Mavericks for the first time this season. It will be interesting to see if there are any more jabs by Wood at the Mavericks organization from before that date or vice versa as there have been several jabs from both sides this offseason.

We'll have you covered with all the latest news and rumors surrounding Christian Wood and the Dallas Mavericks this summer, so stay tuned.