(11-20-2022, 10:13 AM)ItsGoTime Wrote: [ -> ]Here is the Luka quote.
Maybe the first sentence "he is a great player, Luka meant as great offensive player. And then the second sentence " he is a great defensive player" was to also acknowledge him on the other end?
I dont know what it all means, it does sound all positive, so I guess thats great.
Wood is fantastic offensive player, there should be little doubt about it. IMO he is far better offensive player than Porzingis, far more mutli-dimensional and smooth in basically every aspect of the offensive game.
I just cant stand players that do not have the touch around the rim, because you cant trust those players in those situations and the good teams in playoffs will force you in those situations if you are not good at it. I remember how many times KP lost the ball as soon as he started dribbling, and how much hard time he had with basic finishing around the rim. Wood can even penetrate from the 3 point line and finish at the rim. This is something KP could never ever do without losing the ball along the way. And we have seen KP but even at times the team forcing him to try make some success with this.
On defensive end, KP was patrolling the paint clearly better than Wood is right now, KP was a beast in rim protection and his blocks really changed momentum of some games, but we have seen few blocks and rim protection from Wood, he has great length and potential in this to be a lot better. Wood also is both faster and quicker than KP on defense, so he has more potential on defensive end to cover the perimeter which is key in our scheme. Wood seems that he needs time to get the chemistry right and defensive schemes, he has so much potential on defense as well.
In defensive rebounding, he seems quiet better than KP. This is again his quicker footwork, but rebounding is also a lot to do with the sixth sense where the ball will end up being.
The main thing Wood lacks on defense is the tactical aspect on how and when he moves, and in my view this is the one thing that the coaches really can make a difference improving as well as teammates. Rebounding, ability to block, quickness, this can hardly be thought, he seems to have these skills inherently.
I guess Luka can see that Wood is a great defensive player, despite lack of reputation at that end.
I really believe he is a fanstastic fit for this team. And he is fantastic complement along with Maxi in this same lineups. They both have just enough footwork and speed to challange at the perimeter, yet they both have the outside shooting to stay on the floor in our spread offense. Wood has the ability to dribble, penetrate, attack the rim, in situations where Luka is doubled, and he has the size to basically get the ball every single time from Luka in those situations, this will make ANY team think twice when doubling Luka, its just about time when our team figures this out well.
