Milwaukee Bucks: 4 former players thriving with new teams this season

Christian Wood has improved since departing from the Milwaukee Bucks

Playing just 62 minutes across 13 games with the Bucks during their breakout 2018-19 season, Christian Wood was largely an afterthought in the rotation.

The undrafted big man showed glimpses of unearthed potential during his brief stay in Milwaukee, but he was never got the chance to display them consistently. Being crammed near the bottom of a sizeable frontcourt rotation that included Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, and Ersan Ilyasova, Wood spent most of his time as a spectator or with the team’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd.

However, he was eventually waived where he would spend time with the New Orleans Pelicans and Detroit Pistons after leaving the Bucks. While he showcased vast improvement with those two teams, this is the season he has legitimately risen to stardom.

Signing a three-year, $41 million deal with the Houston Rockets in the offseason, Wood joined Sterling Brown as former Bucks to get a bigger opportunity with the team this offseason. Wood’s uptick in production has been much higher by averaging 21 points on .523/.376/.634 shooting splits, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 32 minutes per game.

Injuries have taken their toll on Wood as he has appeared in just 37 games with the team this season. However, before missing extensive time, the 25-year-old big man was firmly in the conversation for this year’s Most Improved Player award.

Although his lengthy absences have likely taken him out of the running for that award, it is no secret that the Rockets have found a hidden gem in the former Milwaukee Buck.