THE CRUCIFIX: Cato: Wood isn't thrilled w/ his role...Will depart in the summer

[DanSchwartzgan]

 I think this is all more than fair, and I don't think any of it is connecting dots in the wrong way or anything. 

But, is it just that "this is what he is" or can he be taught how to exist on a winning team? If he can be, don't you think that would help significantly?

Absolutely.  I was super hopeful about Wood when he was acquired.  I was right about the role I thought he would get, at least initially.  I never anticipated he would require the level of protection Kidd gives him.  

If you think Wood has more value than he's shown (and I do hold that out as a possibility), then there are two ways to unlock it.  Throw him to the wolves and let him start and get 32-ish minutes.  Or, bring him along slowly and build his confidence and his ability to do things he's not done successfully before.  This summer I said "let him earn it" and someone said that should be my signature.  For the record I much prefer "#1 Green Defender".  But "earn" it might not have been the best way to phrase it.  Maybe "let him develop it" would have been better.  

There are risks to both scenarios.  In the latter, people might think  the coach is an idiot, but at least the box score numbers look good and you have a trade asset.  If you throw him to the wolves and it doesn't work, you may be able to change back to a bench role, but you have certainly killed his trade value by killing the dream that he could ever start successfully on a good team.  BTW, I do think he has value in a limited role.  The question that we can't answer with certainty yet is whether he has value in an expanded role.