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How Has Max Christie Handled His Increased Role For The Lakers?
Christie, the 35th pick in the 2022 Draft, came into the 2023-24 season after showing flashes of growth during his rookie year and at Summer League. Still, it took a while for Darvin Ham to find proper minutes for him—even as the Lakers became decimated by injuries. Lakers coaches and fans also knew they had to be patient with Christie, a 20 year old who received limited opportunities. LA had several players who would get minutes above him, but Christie appeared far from deterred.
Even after multiple DNPs and only being inserted in garbage time, Ham continued to trust Christie. That trust was exemplified when Ham started Christie on Nov. 22 against the Mavericks—and a string of games after that. It’s all led to this discussion of Christie’s recent play, and what it means for him going forward.