Mavs Injury Update: Will Christian Wood Play vs. Suns?
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The Dallas Mavericks are set to face off against the Phoenix Suns on Monday. With an 11-11 record, achieving a victory over a top Western Conference opponent could help build momentum.
Regarding the injury report for Monday's matchup against the Suns, the Mavs listed only Christian Wood, and he's considered questionable to play due to illness. He has been listed with an illness ahead of Dallas' previous three games but only missed Saturday's 121-100 win over the New York Knicks.
When Wood doesn't play, the Mavs have gone 1-2. He was previously sidelined for a two-game road trip due to a knee injury, resulting in losses to the Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards.
The Mavs opened up their 2022-23 regular season schedule with a 107-105 loss against the Suns. Dallas had somehow managed to squander a 22-point lead and even received 16 straight points from Christian Wood in his debut with the team, but couldn't get it done in clutch time. He finished with 25 points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes but wasn't utilized to close the game.
Dallas' first season loss came down to the final two possessions. The Suns received a big shot from Damion Lee, converting a tough, short-range jump shot with 9.8 seconds remaining. Luka Doncic had a chance to convert a game-winner from 34-feet at the buzzer, but his shot was offline.
Wood has factored into the Mavs' plans to replace Jalen Brunson by being a top scoring threat for the bench unit. He's having a productive season in a sixth man role for the Mavs. He's averaging 16.8 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent from beyond the arc.
The storyline of Wood's role with the Mavs remains something to monitor. The team has been highly productive when he's shared the floor with Luka Doncic and with how teams load up on the superstar, having a scoring threat at the center position can make the opposition pay more often than not.
The clear concern for the Mavs has been the defensive side of the ball. The team has often played Maxi Kleber next to Wood, allowing Kleber to anchor the defense as a rim protector while Wood defends off-ball. Dallas reverted back to starting Dwight Powell midseason and hasn't changed it since.
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