11-20-2020, 09:52 AM
When comparing Wood to Larry Sanders, I get the concern about a paying someone a big contract who doesn't have a long established track record, but I would make a couple of points....
a) I think one of the reasons why Woods might be appealing to the Mavs is they had him on their Summer League team previously. It's always a scary proposition to pay someone huge money when you don't have any real first hand working knowledge of who they are day in and day out. At least the Mavs have had some sort of first hand organizational interaction with Wood to offer some insight into his character and work ethic.
b) I generally think motor and work ethic are kinda innate skills, every bit as much like height or leaping ability. Sanders never wanted to be an NBA player, he just hit the genetic lottery that gave him this amazing paycheck and he had to play himself out of an NBA job or outright quit to get out of it. If Sanders had to face Wood's route into the NBA, he would have never made it. It would have been too much adversity and not worth the effort to him. Meawhile, guys like Wood who go undrafted and bounce around Summer Leagues and G League's and then work their way into an NBA career .. those guys are just wired differently. There's too many chances to quit and move on with your life. You have to be wired differently to fight and claw and scratch an NBA career out of that. Think Raja Bell. Or Patrick Beverly. or Udonis Haslem. Or Bruce Bowen. Does guys don't just quit once they finally get paid.
a) I think one of the reasons why Woods might be appealing to the Mavs is they had him on their Summer League team previously. It's always a scary proposition to pay someone huge money when you don't have any real first hand working knowledge of who they are day in and day out. At least the Mavs have had some sort of first hand organizational interaction with Wood to offer some insight into his character and work ethic.
b) I generally think motor and work ethic are kinda innate skills, every bit as much like height or leaping ability. Sanders never wanted to be an NBA player, he just hit the genetic lottery that gave him this amazing paycheck and he had to play himself out of an NBA job or outright quit to get out of it. If Sanders had to face Wood's route into the NBA, he would have never made it. It would have been too much adversity and not worth the effort to him. Meawhile, guys like Wood who go undrafted and bounce around Summer Leagues and G League's and then work their way into an NBA career .. those guys are just wired differently. There's too many chances to quit and move on with your life. You have to be wired differently to fight and claw and scratch an NBA career out of that. Think Raja Bell. Or Patrick Beverly. or Udonis Haslem. Or Bruce Bowen. Does guys don't just quit once they finally get paid.