The Los Angeles Lakers’ health woes have continued over the past several days. Forward Cam Reddish and Rui Hachimura have been forced out of action due to groin soreness and a nasal fracture, respectively.
As a result, head coach Darvin Ham has had to adjust his lineups and rotations. One decision he made recently was to place second-year wing Max Christie into the starting lineup.
Coming into this season, Christie had been expected to crack the team’s main rotation, but he had played sporadically in his first 10 games. His first start of the season came on Wednesday versus the Dallas Mavericks, and he scored seven points on 3-of-7 shooting.
On Saturday, he contributed 12 points on a 5-of-7 night from the field and 2-of-4 from 3-point range, five rebounds and three assists in a six-point win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He also played some nice defense on Cavs star Donovan Mitchell, who had a 4-of-18 clunker.
Ham praised Christie, not just for helping in the victory but also for his preparation and work ethic off the court (h/t Lakers Nation).
Darvin Ham speaks on Anthony Davis’s dominance on both ends of the ball and Max Christie’s growth from last season. pic.twitter.com/JcieZh2BR8
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 26, 2023
“A matchup like that, all those guys that he had to try and defend. Caris (LeVert), Darius (Garland), Max (Strus) and Donovan down the stretch toward the end of the game, that’s a huge, huge challenge for a young player like Max, but it was one that was much needed. So he was awesome tonight, we gave him a shoutout after the game. Everyone here is pulling for him, knows how special he can be and how special he already is. And the biggest thing for him is the more minutes he gets, the more comfortable he gets. We had to rely on him some last year, his rookie year, due to some of the same circumstances. So he was ready to go, kid works on his game furiously and is constantly engaged with watching film and making sure he knows what to do when he’s called upon. I think you saw that tonight.”
Games like Saturday’s can serve as an affirmation and a confidence booster for Christie. His team can always count on him to give 100%, especially on the defensive end and on the boards. If he shoots a high percentage from the perimeter, he can earn significant and consistent playing time.
