After Jason Kidd told reporters on Monday that the plan is for Christian Wood to come off the bench in his first season for the Mavericks, the big man said in his own media session that he was hearing about it for the first time. Following up on that topic on Tuesday, Kidd admitted he hadn’t spoken directly to Wood about his role, but he also suggested the big man wasn’t totally in the dark about it.
“I haven’t really talked to him about that. I know my assistants have,” Kidd said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). “When you use the term, ‘When you check in with six minutes…’ that means you didn’t start.
“So we’ll get to talking about his role as we go forward. I’ve never coached him, so I want to first see what he’s capable of doing with different lineups and different combinations here in preseason, and then we’ll make a decision on where he’s going to play, if he’s coming off the bench or starting. But right now, he will not start.”
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Frank Vogel will be with the Mavericks in training camp for “a couple of days,” according to Kidd, who said the former Lakers head coach took him up right away on an open invitation to visit (Twitter link via Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News). Vogel, who worked with Kidd in Los Angeles, doesn’t have a formal NBA job this season after being let go by L.A. in the spring.
- Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich doesn’t have any delusions about his team’s ability to seriously contend this season, telling reporters on Monday, “Nobody here should go to Vegas and bet on this team to win the championship,” as Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News relays. While his young players are hoping to defy the odds and win more games than expected, Popovich said the focus will be on player development and growth. “At this point, the job is really to start them out the right way,” Popovich said. “Just like a new baby, and giving that baby all the nutrients it needs to develop properly and in the best environment. That’s our goal. Whatever success we have will come from that.”
- CJ McCollum‘s new two-year contract extension with the Pelicans has a declining structure, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). McCollum will earn $33.3MM in 2024/25 and $30.7MM in ’25/26.
Let me get this straight .. Christian Wood is just now finding out he is NOT gonna be a starter???? Does Dallas realize he thought he was coming to Dallas to be the #2 guy behind Luka????
I’m fairly certain everyone thought this. Guess it’s hard to put up shots when Luka is taking 70% of them.
Lol Christian Wood might need to be the 6th man over there. He don’t play defense. Dallas Mavericks play defense under Jason Kidd. So he have to commit on that end of the court first.
Read the article,coach K had his assistant coaches communicate with the well traveled and somewhat over rated wood his intentions. I’m sure wood will ample opportunity to impress his new coach.
Why would Jason Kidd have his “assistant” coaches talking to their top free agent acquisition???
Is Jason Kidd to important to pick up the phone to talk to Christian Wood directly?? What else does he have going on this offseason so important that he can’t talk directly to the top offseason acquisition on a team that advanced to the Western Conference Finals?
Considering that Dallas made the WCF, Wood shouldn’t have expected to get named a starter before training camp.
Happy Birthday to you, Christian!
Care more about playing top 5 minutes on your team, care not at all at what points in the game those minutes are played.
Agreed. Obviously Wood will play more than McGee who has only averaged 20 minutes a game one season since 2012.
Gregg Popovich will have them boys playing very hard!!!! Regardless if they have the worst record in the NBA they will play hard. It’s like I seen this movie before. The San Antonio Spurs took David Robinson number 1 in 1987. The San Antonio Spurs took Tim Duncan number 1 in 1997. The San Antonio Spurs are going to get the number 1 pick and draft Victor Wembanyama.
Victor Wembanyama 2023 Draft is going to the San Antonio Spurs.
Frank Vogel is doing a very good thing by constantly trying to learn new things. It’s going to get another job next off season.