The Los Angeles Lakers have been searching for depth while currently dealing with the injuries of LeBron James and the newly exciting offseason free-agent acquisitions of Dennis Schroder and Thomas Bryant.
As the Lakers flirt with the idea of bringing in some free agents like Tony Snell or Joe Wieskamp, Darvin Ham can be confident in Lakers rookie guard Max Christie to provide high-energy play off the bench.
Ham has given Christie his first opportunity in the Lakers’ rotation as of late and likes what he’s seen so far from the rookie, who has brought defensive intensity, rebounding and some timely shooting. In an interview with Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group, Christie describes the emotions of being in Ham’s new rotation:
“It definitely feels good to know that you’re going in every single time now,” Christie said in the locker room prior to Sunday’s game against Brooklyn. “But obviously, you know that can change at any single moment, so you can’t let any opportunity slip away from you.”
Not staying too high or too low has been the recipe for Christie’s successful start to his rookie season. He understands that he’s just a rookie and is essentially playing with house money right now:
“If I have an off game, it’s not the biggest deal because nobody really expected me to contribute anyway,” he said. “So it’s just sort of icing on the cake for me to keep going as hard as I can, but at the same time there’s no pressure on me.”
Christie will need to continue to develop as the season progresses in order for him to reach his full potential, although he is definitely on the trajectory to being an impactful NBA player for the Lakers.
Ham believes time off will help James’ injury
As the Lakers stand at 3-10 heading into the middle of November, they hit a weird spot in the early NBA schedule. The Purple and Gold have a four-game break before playing Friday night against the Detroit Pistons.
After a win against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, the Lakers are heading to their well-needed rest on a high. With injuries being a factor early on in the year, Ham believes that this time off will benefit LeBron James’ adductor injury,
Too much rest is certainly not a bad thing. The Lakers need as much time possible for King James to come back on the court healthy to push forward a winning agenda.
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