Comfortable Wood, sharp-dressed Luka go well together

The Mavericks are in a season-long fact-gathering mission with Christian Wood.

The talented big man was acquired for a modest price in the offseason and he’s playing in the final year of his contract, meaning it’s a big year for him and his future earnings potential.

Over the last six games, and particularly in Sunday’s 124-115 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Wood has looked like a terrific bargain and an asset worth investing in for the future.

Wood had 30 points, eight rebounds and a season-best seven assists against the Lakers.

In the last six, he’s averaged 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while only shooting 31.6 percent from three-point range.

That might seem like a debit. But from a different perspective, it’s a big plus because it means Wood is not reliant on the long ball to put up strong numbers. He’s working the paint, which is what the Mavericks need.

And it’s important to note that Wood also has averaged 2.3 blocks over the last six games.

Not surprisingly, the Mavericks have gone 4-2 in that stretch.

And he was forceful throughout the Christmas Day win.

“He’s more active defensively,” Luka Dončić said. “Offensively, we know he can score. He was sharing the ball and getting steals and blocks. He was amazing.”

And after being in the starting lineup the last five games, it’s clear that Wood is a bit more comfortable in that spot.

Allow coach Jason Kidd to explain.

“Just reps, being comfortable,” he said. “We talked about that with Reggie (Bullock) last year getting his feet underneath him, shooting the ball. Any time a trade happens, it’s just not the analytics. It’s not a computer game. He’s human. A human athlete has to perform, has to make the adjustments.

“As much as we want trades to happen and for them to be successful overnight, it just takes time. It’s December 25, it’s Christmas. He’s starting to get comfortable and his teammates are getting comfortable with him. Now it’s just a matter of building on the foundation that we’ve built.”

Wood started the season in the sixth-man role. That worked out Ok, but he’s been a far more productive player in the starting lineup. To which, he said:

“I feel like I’ve been having a great season so far. I feel like I’ve been playing great in every role that’s been given to me.”

And the fact that he’s nearing the point where he would overtake Luka as the leading rebounder on the team, plus his shot-blocking numbers, indicates that the Mavericks are gaining a little traction on the defensive end.

Against the Lakers, Wood had a pair of blocks, as well as four steals.

“We were missing our defensive anchor, Maxi (Kleber),” he said. “Those guys trust me to make plays defensively and I feel like my defense has picked up these last few weeks.”

Indeed it has as the Mavericks have won three in a row.

So here’s a couple of other quick takeaways from the rousing win over the Lakers.

DISHING IT OUT: The second half probably featured the best ball movement of the season for the Mavericks. They passed out 22 assists, 13 of them in the third quarter when they routed the Lakers 51-21 to stash away the game. The 51 points tied the franchise record for points in a quarter. Their 31 assists for the game were a season best.

HOWDY, PARDNER: Dončić showed up to the game wearing all black and could have been starring in a Cavender’s commercial. He had black cowboy boots with jeans tucked inside and a slick-looking cowboy hat. At the very least, he was a very sharp-dressed man. “Real Texas, right?” said Wood. “The boots, the cowboy hat. I love it.” Tim Hardaway Jr. is probably the unofficial fashion guru for the Mavericks and he said: “It was great. Thank God. He’s been coming in for the most part, and it hasn’t been good (with Luka’s clothing choices). But it doesn’t matter. What matters is what he’s doing between those four lines. He can do (or wear) whatever he wants as long as he’s out there hooping like that.”

THE WRIGHT STUFF: McKinley Wright IV is proof that every player gets an opportunity. He’s on a two-way contract and was the last guy to make the final roster in October. But he has played 23 minutes combined in the last two games and has provided a spark that helped give the Mavericks momentum in both outings. It was especially important with Josh Green and Frank Ntilikina out with injuries. “He’s been making the most of his opportunities,” Wood said. “You look at that Houston game, his energy and effort he brought were big for us. Today, he brought the same energy. That’s what we need.”

Twitter: @ESefko