While the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t exactly an old team, they don’t have a lot of young prospects who are on the rise. But one such prospect they do possess is second-year wing Max Christie.
The 6-foot-5 Michigan State University has gradually shown some promise as a player who will give 100% on the defensive end. He has also displayed the potential to become a legitimate 3-and-D player by occasionally knocking down 3-pointers on the other end.
With the Lakers short-handed because of injuries to Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish and now Christian Wood, one would presume Christie would get significant playing time on a regular basis. However, he played just five minutes in Sunday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Head coach Darvin Ham had a puzzling explanation for why Christie played so little (h/t Lakers Daily).
Darvin Ham says that Anthony Davis’ early foul trouble altered the rotation and led to him playing Max Christie later than he had planned to.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 25, 2024
With Austin Reaves and Spencer Dinwiddie struggling to hit shots against Phoenix, perhaps a little more floor time for Christie would’ve helped. The 21-year-old made one of his two shot attempts and notch one assist on Sunday, and he is shooting a terrific 43.8% from 3-point range in the month of February.
