RETOOL TIME
Landing Detroit’s Wood to play center is a key step in team’s retooling
Christian Wood is vital first stage in roster makeover.
The Rockets got what they wanted most, which is the goal of free agency. But there remained much that they need.
Assuming the objective is not to achieve social distancing in the locker room, there was still work to do after the Rockets landed their primary target, Pistons free agent center Christian Wood.
There was no debating that the priority was to add Wood’s versatile offensive and defensive skills, bringing a 6-10 center with a 7-foot, 3-inch wingspan to a team with no one else needing to duck under doorways without sacrificing the skills and spacing that were valued in the smallball era. That had to come first.
The Rockets, however, have eight players under contract, not including Wood and the developmental players added since the draft. Along with second-round pick Kenyon Martin Jr. and undrafted free agent guards Mason Jones, Trevelin Queen and Broderic Thomas, on Saturday the Rockets picked up athletic 6-foot-7 G League power forward Kenny Wooten off waivers from the Knicks.
Those are additions to help fill out developmental depth. The key for the Rockets, having taking care of job one when they were able to fold the sign-and-trade for Wood into the trade of Trevor Ariza to the Pistons, is how they add NBA talent to the stockpile, rather than aspiring NBA talent.
More to the point of the consideration that drives nearly everything they attempt to accomplish since training camp opens next month is whether Wood and a few more roster additions will be enough for James Harden and Russell Westbrook to consider the Rockets to be contenders again.
That won’t be easy, and not only because the Rockets are — barring trades — limited to minimum contracts. It was made more difficult when center Jeff Green, who provided a much-needed boost off the Rockets bench last season, opted to take a minimum contract with the Nets, proving at least one former Thunder player that had been with the Rockets would rejoin Kevin Durant in Brooklyn.
At least some of the Western Conference contenders, starting with the champion Lakers, seemed to have gotten better. The Lakers replaced Rajon Rondo, Danny Green and Dwight Howard with Dennis Schroder, Wesley Matthews and Montrezl Harrell, moves that should make them deeper. The Nuggets lost Mason Plumlee and Jerami Grant, but kept Paul Millsap and got JaMychal Green away from the Clippers.
The Mavericks, Pelicans, Trail Blazers, Jazz and Suns all added depth to their rotations. Even the Warriors, after losing Klay Thompson for the season, moved quickly to add Kelly Oubre to alleviate some of the damage.
Working with minimum contracts, the Rockets do not have to have answers for all that in the first days of free agent shopping. Usually, minimum deals can drag on far more slowly than the headline moves, though that timetable, as with everything else, is changed by the realities of 2020 with training camp less than two weeks after the start of free agency.
As is, Wood and the eight players they have back — even with Robert Covington heading to Portland — should make a strong rotation. If Harden and Westbrook considered the Rockets to be championship worthy when they had Clint Capela in the middle, they could feel that way with Wood.
Capela grew into a more forceful rim protector and developed great chemistry with Harden. Wood has similar potential and is more well suited to switch on perimeter players.
More immediately, with elite production in pick-and-roll last season, Wood should benefit from time with star playmakers. Harden’s pick-and-roll lobs should be back. More important for the Rockets, Wood brings the range shooting they wanted in the small lineups to provide spacing for Westbrook with an ability to attack closeouts off the dribble and finish that they have lacked in their big men for years.
Though Wood’s rise from having to play his way onto the Pistons roster before the season to coveted free agent after made him a bit of a sudden sensation, Harden should know his game well. He and Wood played together in Los Angeles pickup games this offseason.
That does not necessarily make Wood the latest Rockets running mate Harden wanted to help him take that elusive next step. It does not mean Wood is enough for Harden to believe the Rockets are ready to challenge a Lakers team that brushed them aside in five games. But with the Rockets still wanting to bring Harden and Westbrook to camp with the hopes they will be back on board, getting the sort of help the Rockets’ needed most is a start.
Given the trials of the Rockets’ offseason like few others, landing the player they wanted was vital. Under the circumstances, for the Rockets small steps to come could be huge, too.