Summer League is officially in the books, and the Los Angeles Lakers have to feel pretty good about their only selection from the 2022 NBA Draft.
Max Christie, who the Lakers took No. 35 overall, flashed the 3-and-D skillset the team is in desperate need for and has the potential to be a long-term piece for them. Christie’s defense particularly stuck out as he looked comfortable defending the point of attack as well as using his length to contest shots.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said about his 3-point shooting as he shot below 30 percent from distance on about three attempts per game. However, the rookie believe his outside shot remains his best skill despite the lackluster showing, via Jovan Buha of The Athletic:
“I’m just not really worried about it,” Christie said. “I know I’m a good 3-point shooter. I think that’ll come with time. That’s probably my biggest strength. It’s just not happening right now.”
While the farther line may be the cause for his shooting woes, Christie instead attributed it to the mental side of things:
“I think it’s mental pretty much at this point,” Christie said. “I think every time I catch the ball, I’m really focusing on making the shot because I’m trying so hard. That’s why I miss those all the time. I think it’ll take time just mentally decompressing when I get the ball and knowing I can knock the shot down.
“So, it’ll come in the more games I play. I think it’ll get better. And, again, it’s just summer league. I’m just getting my feet wet. I’m not worried about how I shoot suddenly.”
Mechanically, Christie’s shot looks fine as he has a high release point and good follow-through. The quality of looks he was getting was great, which means he should see some positive regression as he gets more comfortable from the NBA 3-point line.
The Lakers signed Christie to a two-year deal, so he has some time to develop with the South Bay Lakers before presumably making the jump to the parent team the following year. Should things break right for the young guard, he could be a key contributor sooner rather than later.
Max Christie focused on getting stronger this summer
One noticeable thing when watching Christie is how his slender frame prevents him from absorbing much contact on both ends of the floor. This is completely normal for rookies, and Christie has already acknowledged that one of his focuses this offseason is to get stronger.
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