Guard Max Christie of the Los Angeles Lakers played the most minutes of any player during the team’s opening preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. He packed the stat sheet in just 34 minutes, finishing with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal.
Christie received positive remarks following the game from Lakers head coach J.J. Redick.
Redick remarked, “Max is an old soul.” He is mature and smart. I truly value his serious approach to this, and he has it. That he plays a lot of minutes in a game like this, doesn’t give up, and just keeps playing is therefore not surprising to me. He’s going be really essential for us this year.
When you watch your team play in games like these, you see players like him or Austin [Reaves] who are always competing at a high level. For the past two months, I’ve observed it during workouts and practice, and it’s always present. I simply value that about Max.
Christie returned to the Lakers this offseason after being a restricted free agency and agreeing to a four-year, $32 million deal. The Lakers reportedly want to play Christie “a lot” moving forward, showing that they clearly have faith in him, even though the transaction appears to have taken some in the NBA by surprise.
The 21-year-old played his first two NBA seasons for the Lakers under Darvin Ham, the former head coach. He played 41 games in his rookie season, averaging 12.5 minutes per game, and 67 games in his second season, averaging 14.1 minutes per game.
The way the Lakers had used Christie in the past was apparently a source of concern. The guard might be able to establish himself in the NBA if he is given more playing time this season and in the future.
Throughout his career, Christie has averaged 3.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 37.8 percent from beyond the arc while shooting 42.4 percent from the field. In order to advance, the Lakers will need to rely on internal improvement, which Redick might be able to assist with, as they did not add any significant players to their squad this offseason. Christie appears to be a strong contender to contribute to that internal development, particularly if he is given more playing time.
Redick’s remarks about the young player are positive, and as Christie begins his third professional season, it will be interesting to see what lies ahead for him.
Read more news on
sportchannel.co.uk
Leave a Reply