In his second season out of Michigan State University, Los Angeles Lakers wing Max Christie is gradually growing into himself. He hasn’t gotten onto the court for meaningful minutes on a consistent basis, but when he has, he has clearly shown promise.
His greatest asset is his defensive activity and effort. With him on the floor, the Lakers this season have a 110.3 defensive rating, while they have had a 115.5 defensive rating without him. Despite being a slender 6-foot-5, he also has the ability to help them on the boards.
Christie’s true potential as a valuable NBA player lies in his ability to consistently hit shots, especially from the perimeter. In Saturday’s win against the New York Knicks, he knocked down both of his 3-point attempts while also blocking two shots and playing excellent positional defense.
While he’s shooting a modest 34.9% from 3-point range on the season, he ranks among the league’s best when it comes to hitting spot-up shots.
Out of the 214 players in the NBA with at least 80 Spot-Up scoring possessions Max Christie Ranks
5th Spot Up PPP (1.341 PPP)
7th Spot Up eFG% (67.1%)
15th Spot Up 3P% (46.4%)Keep Using Him in this off-ball role and he’ll continue being a good player for this team! pic.twitter.com/xj30hZeTcU
— Sean Davis (@Sean_Davi) February 4, 2024
With forward Jarred Vanderbilt expected to be out for several weeks and Cam Reddish and Gabe Vincent still sidelined, this is an excellent opportunity for Christie to earn more playing time and prove himself as a legitimate 3-and-D wing.
