TRADE: Christian Wood (1yr/$14.3M) to DAL | #26+SB+Boban+Chriss+TB to HOU

[F Gump]

I suppose what I really meant was, yes Wood will be a "center" for this team, but he really is going to play as a wing in my eyes. At least, his offensive game resembles that to me. Wood's value really lies in his ability to create for himself. Heck Wood even has the ability to bring the ball up and initiate the offense. When, if ever, have we had a center be able to get a rebound on one end and then start the offense on the other? Zaza maybe...?  I see him playing a more "PF" role as in he's not going to be guarding the Deandre Ayton's/Rudy Goberts when push comes to shove, but he does have the ability to effectively neutralize those types of players because of his offensive game being able to pull them away from the paint. 

That's my biggest concern about this trade (not even broaching the attitude concerns here). Because while the Mavs basically doubled down on their approach of small ball everything, they didn't really get more versatile and fix the "big man" problem we all saw in the Warriors series. We're still going to get bullied by the Embiid's/Gobert's/Ayton"s/ and perhaps even the Looney's still. 

BUT one can argue that doubling down is exactly what the Mavs needed. As getting bullied by Gobert/Ayton in the previous two series didn't work, and Wood's offense probably would have changed the entire dynamic vs. the Warriors. He alone could've punished them inside and help take pressure off of our shooters and stop their zone.

I agree with your conclusion ("doubling down is exactly what the Mavs needed"). 

You note that Wood isn't an answer to Gobert and Ayton, but (a) those teams lost to the Mavs even without Wood, and (b) those centers the Mavs supposedly couldn't handle got played off the court, not vice versa. Kleber was the reason, and Wood adds more of the same ilk.

As for Looney/GS, it can be argued that the Mavs simply lacked ENOUGH small-ball types when they got to GS, as they were running on fumes by long minutes for such players in getting there. Adding a Wood, means DFS or Luka aren't playing center when Kleber sits, and someone gets badly needed rest minutes. Add yet another playable guy (THJ, or better), and that probably goes even farther in changing that GS outcome. And in light of the big lead in G2 that was lost when the Mavs simply ran out of gas, they were probably closer than we realize.