Mavericks Star Unhappy With Playing Time

After a big offseason trade that brought the Houston Rockets' leading scorer cross-state to the Dallas Mavericks, it caught everyone by surprise when Mavs coach Jason Kidd declined to put Christian Wood into the starting lineup. He's instead been tasked with being the Mavs' "super sixth man." And while he's having a nice year off the bench, he's not so happy with the mere 24 minutes a game he's playing.

“I would love to play more," said Wood. "I’ve voiced that several times, but I just play my role.” Wood is averaging 16.1 points and 7.5 rebounds while firing from downtown at a blistering 43.2% clip. 

But he played just 17 minutes in the Mavericks' frustrating loss to the Denver Nuggets Sunday night, and gently voiced his desire for more minutes to the media. It's a bizarre situation, as Wood nearly averaged 20-and-10 in his two years in Houston (19.1 points, 9.9 rebounds) while averaging 31 minutes a game. 

He also added that he's never prepped by the team before games about the second-half playing time plans: “I have no clue." He played just under two minutes in the entire 4th quarter Sunday night. 

It's a strange situation, and it would be surprising if something doesn't change. 

Photo: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports