Christian Wood Brings Raw Talent To Sixers

Feb 21, 2015; Albuquerque, NM, USA; UNLV Runnin

Christian Wood Brings Raw Talent To Sixers

As the team prepares for the 2015-16 NBA season, president and general manager Sam Hinkie is tweaking the roster to load up on players who have true upside, raw talent, and youthful energy that can grow and be mentored into an NBA star.   The team has a limit of twenty such candidates, and from the twenty 15 will carry on as the Philadelphia 76ers this season.  A 19 year old 6’11” 220 pound power forward from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) by the name of Christian Wood is one such prospect.  A very talented raw prospect with the type of upside that warranted projecting as a first round draft selection in the NBA draft.

Raw.

But there were other names given to this young man while he played for UNLV Rebels.

Listless.  Uninspired.  Robotic.  Going through the motions.  Everyone was a critic.  A young man playing a game for fun was on top of the world, ruling a basketball court and enjoying life as only youth allows one to do.  Carefree and spirited, it seemed as though he led a charmed life, despite the perception of being only partially engaged.

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But the young power forward still put up 15.7 points and 10 rebounds, and now standing at 6-foot-11-inches, Wood has the height – but not quite the frame – to play in the NBA.  He has a good face up game, where he could take most college defenders one on one. But he lacks the consistency of a back-to-the-basket scorer or a spot up shooter.

Raw.

Sometimes stories just end, fading slowly away until the memory is held by just the few who stood behind and held up the player the longest.   Sometimes a player’s story disappears as the sunlight fades into the quiet summer night.  We know some stories, but only from the occasional recap of “biggest bust” themed articles that surface when the news is light that day.  Worse yet are the stories of those who dream big, hoped highest, and didn’t have a chance because that door never opened.  It exposes a despair inside of us that few will ever know.  The victim of the randomness of chance and opportunity.   The desire to be great but never having the door opened.  The exposure of that nerve, that painful fight back the tears in public nerve.

Raw

Next: Wake Up Call

Feb 24, 2015; Logan, UT, USA; UNLV Rebels forward Christian Wood (5) takes the ball to the basket against the Utah State Aggies forward David Collette (13) in the first half at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Wake up Call

But sometimes, the wake up call is loud and long.   Sometimes the kick in the pants gets us going before the light goes out completely.  Sometimes the realization of what might be fading away shakes a player of exceptional talent out of the fog and brings them to the point of knowing SOMETHING must change.  Sometimes the death of a dream meets a feral urge to rage at the coming nothing to the point that we turn fear and paralysis into work, into productive work.

It’s hard to tell just how Christian Wood’s story will turn out. But there are those who might have a better idea of guessing. Reggie Evans, center for the now Sacramento Kings and once a center for the 76ers, had these words of encouragement for Wood:

And the message seems to have been received loud and clear:

So now?  The work.  The work and the effort that must come to prepare a young athlete to compete with the leagues best.  It’s more than a hobby, a side business, a distraction.  To be the best, theirs must be a focus on being the best within.  Which team gives the tools for a player to be their best?

Next: Sixers Deliver NBA Innovation

May 16, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Posts from tournament patrons can be seen on a screen in the new social media center during third round play at Quail Hollow Club. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The Sixers Deliver NBA Innovation

No, this is not an eight track tape, nor am I stuck on a groove.  Professional athletes bring the desire and passion for the sport.  They have been blessed with the genetics for the height, build, and physical characteristics to achieve if they have that desire. But desire and genetics = POTENTIAL.

"“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential. Winston Churchill"

And so, the effort must begin. That effort can be wasted exertion, or a focus of talent into a progression that builds upon itself. Building upon itself is the Philadelphia 76er mantra. The team has endured two NBA seasons, a career lifetime for many, in the goal to position itself with success “Someday”. That someday is now. As the team gears up for this season, it’s brought online two very important components:

First of all, it has the Sports Science/Medicine headed up by Dr. David T. Martin. He spearheads a wide range of areas that include nutrition (when and what to eat), hydration (when and what to drink), exertion (how much to train and how much to relax), rest (how much sleep to get), and exercise (weights, gym, or cross training).

As Dr. Martin works with the young players to build them as physically fit as possible, the team will be bringing basketball analytics online as well. This gives reads on what shots to take, what foot to pivot on, opponent’s trending strengths and weaknesses as a team and at the individual player level.   It gives the 76ers’ players information on when to shoot pass or move the ball down the court. The mix of that insatiable appetite for success combined with an unending supply of the tools to succeed are what this team is built for, and counting on.

Next: TheySleep

Jul 11, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Pierre Jackson (55) keeps the ball away from Los Angeles Lakers guard Xavier Munford (14) during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

#TheySleep

The Sixers team has many stories of players who faced adversity and used that challenge as motivation to train harder.   Pierre Jackson injured his Achilles heel, and many thought his basketball future would be limited to pickup games.  He used that discounting into a video series that he produced to keep his fans in the  loop.

From that promise to this picture.

Sometimes it’s hard to do the work when you stand alone.  But youth is not a crime, it’s a right of passage.  It’s a test, a test of how hard you will hold onto a dream.   Some of us fail that test, and let go, to settle in on something that “goes with the flow”.  The challenge is that Christian Wood, being such a gifted athlete, must do his growing up, experience his painful moments, in front of a camera or microphone.

Wood’s teammate Pierre Jackson knows about going against the grain,  and his comeback trail is well documented.   It is that consensus of counting him out that has become the motivating mantra for Jackson, #TheySleep.

Tony Wroten knows about the comeback trail.  His journey is still ongoing as well.  Joel Embiid knows about doubters, as some doubt if he will set foot on a basketball court again.  Nik Stauskas, just one year into the NBA, is now fighting the “bust” label.   Throughout the Sixer roster there are stories of professional athletes that have to fight against a perception of not being quite right for the job.

Sometimes life has a way of pushing us down just a little, but we find that we grow larger from the experience, and bounce higher than ever.   Whether by accident or some cosmic destiny, Christian Wood has ended up on an NBA team that is virtually ideal to assist him to be the most he can possibly achieve.   He just needs to want in badly enough now.

I think we all do.

Next: Sixers Roster Review