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

[Kammrath]

It was a tag placed on him before being undrafted and why he didn’t get picked.

He definitely was known (rightly) for inconsistent effort on D predraft (but who doesn't struggle with that....*cough* Luka *cough*?). But he has ALWAYS been very capable on D when locked in, going back to college. And the knock on him on the offensive end was settling for jumpers and being too thin/weak. 

I think the best summary of him not getting drafted can be found in this short quote:

"concerns about his background and off-court habits caused him to go undrafted"

Wood didn't take care of his body the way he needed to heading into the draft (came in with high body fat and poor eating habits) and I think that caused the myth of him being "lazy" to start. But I think that was quickly proved wrong in how he responded over the next four years of his career.

And a bonus quote from a DET reporter leading into Wood's free agency in 2020 that shows IMO that many have seen his value for years now:

"keeping Wood should be their top priority."