While the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t made any outside additions this offseason, the team could still see some internal improvement with the growth and usage of a couple of players. Chief among them is third-year wing Max Christie, who re-signed with the team on a four-year $32 million deal this summer.
Christie showed real flashes at times last season, but his rotation spot was very inconsistent. The hope now, with new head coach JJ Redick, is that he has a more clear and focused role and that seems to be the case.
Christie spoke with Jovan Buha of The Athletic and says he and Redick are on the same page in terms of what his role will be within the rotation of this Lakers team:
“I think both us are really on the same schedule in terms of how I want to be used and how he wants to use me within the offense, within the rotation. We really both got a taste of it in Vegas when we were both there and I was working out a lot. He was always present, he was always kinda running the drills and putting me in situations that he wants me to be in during the season too. I think everybody knows, especially on offense, we’ve got a bunch of guys that can put the ball in the basket with LeBron, AD, Austin and D’Angelo. We got a bunch of guys that can score and handle the ball, we got Gabe off the bench so we got a lot of guys. And for me, and I think we’re on the same page with this, just being that guy that can kinda take a load off them and especially with my shooting ability, space the floor.
“The good thing with JJ too, especially this is kind of how he played when he was in his career, there’s gonna be a lot of movement, I think a lot of free-flowing movement in our offense with cuts and pin-downs and all sorts of stuff. That’s what I’ve been working on here at home and especially with the coaches in Vegas and then even in California too just a lot of that off-ball movement, catching and shooting, playing off of closeouts. Stuff that I really have done my first two years and then kind of expanding on that a little bit more. So I think we’re on the same page with that stuff and I think we’re all in agreement that I’m gonna be a good part of the offense and defense and rotation in general so I’m looking forward to that.”
Two-way wings who can defend and hit open shots are extremely important in today’s NBA and Christie has shown he has the tools to be exactly that. He is a good defender and excellent rebounder for his position while also knocking down a good percentage of his 3-pointers, albeit on limited attempts.
It sounds as if Redick sees his value and plans to utilize him properly in the upcoming season. Christie is poised to take a leap in his third season and Redick plans to put him in the right position to allow him to shine.
Lakers’ Max Christie discusses first free agency experience
This offseason also marked the first time Max Christie hit free agency in his young career and the Lakers guard enjoyed it.
Christie called it fun just seeing the negotiations between the Lakers and his agency while also adding that he wanted to get a deal done before the open windown started to avoid all of the turmoil that can come in free agency.
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