Max Christie, the Los Angeles Lakers’ second-round draft pick in June, made his first NBA start on Monday versus the Denver Nuggets and had a whale of a game. He went 6-of-8 from the field and 2-of-3 from 3-point range, giving him 14 points in 26 minutes.
It was the latest piece of evidence that the Lakers have done a great job of turning that pick, which they acquired from the Orlando Magic, into a productive player.
Los Angeles will host Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, and with Patrick Beverley unable to play due to a non-COVID-19 illness, Christie will be in the starting lineup once again.
Rookie Max Christie gets his 2nd straight start tonight against Dallas, joining Dennis Schröder, Juan Toscano-Anderson, LeBron James and Thomas Bryant.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 13, 2023
This lineup will give the Lakers ample size and length, which will be a welcome change from the small lineups head coach Darvin Ham has employed for much of this season.