In L.A., Christian Wood can turn things around — or confirm his reputation

The book on Wood is while he’s a proven scorer, he’s the stereotypical NBA player who thinks he’s better than he really is and is entitled to more than he deserves. It’s what former Lakers head coach Pat Riley once called the “disease of more,” the tendency of athletes — and people from other walks of life — to keep demanding more and more until they’re asking for too much, too soon.

Over the last three seasons, the 6-foot-9 big man has averaged 18.1 points per game while shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from 3-point range. Those are very strong figures, especially for a player who has never been an All-Star.

But as Nick Angstadt, the host of the “Locked On Mavericks” podcast pointed out recently, Wood comes with some real baggage.

The big man has a reputation for being a poor defender, and Angstadt argued that at least some of it may be due to an unwillingness to give 100 percent on that end of the floor.

But the podcast host said Wood’s biggest problem is that he has an inflated sense of himself as a player and his abilities as a scorer, and that he may even try to step on Anthony Davis’ toes as far as being a top offensive option for L.A.

The Lakers have a clear hierarchy, especially on the offensive end — LeBron James is the leader and engine of the team, Davis is the No. 1 option, or at least they want him to be that, on offense, and Austin Reaves is now their No. 3 option.

For Wood to fit in, he will have to accept a lesser role and be content with seeing his touches and shot attempts going down while also being asked to contribute in other areas. It remains to be seen how he deals with that.