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

[DanSchwartzgan]

A) isn't guaranteed to teach him any more than "throw him to the wolves" and B) it doesn't seem to be resulting in good play from the team in the meantime, because they actually need someone like Wood in a high-minute role (competently, so maybe not Wood, specifically) to be a good team. 

If they're losing, anyway, why not crash course him and pray? 

I know they just won a game without him playing at all, and that there's reason to draw conclusions from that because yes, that was one of the better performances of the season in some ways, but I can't imagine going back to having just Powell and Kleber in the rotation as bigs. Mix in the Powell/Dinwiddie thing with my wish to use Dinwiddie as a 6th man and it's tough for me to see how this all Works without Wood getting there.

A. There is something to be lost if this doesn't work.
B. It actually does result in good play.  When Wood plays fewer minutes, he outperforms the team's +/-.  When he goes over that number, the early indications are he's a fairly big negative.  Obviously, it is more complex than that, but we only have so many games to look at.

No one is advocating going back to "Just Powell and Kleber in the rotation as bigs".  I think there is a role that works for Wood.  What I don't know is whether expanding that role works, but it doesn't appear that it does.  

The answer to playing more successfully may not be about Wood.  It may be more about making the minutes Wood doesn't play more successful.  Kidd is certainly trying things.  He sat (finally) McGee for Powell and that helped.  He sat Bullock for THJ and it seems to have helped THJ at least.  Intuitively, Powell, DFS, THJ, SD and Luka probably isn't the solution.  I don't see replacing Powell with Wood working either.  The answer may be Green.  The answer may be someone who isn't on the roster right now.