Gophers' Cam Christie showcased potential in Summer League with Clippers

It looks like the Clippers may have got themselves a steal.

Jan 12, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Cam Christie (24) shoots the ball in the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Cam Christie became only the second Gophers player selected in the NBA draft since 2004 when the Los Angeles Clippers chose him with the 46th overall pick this year. After five games at the Summer League in Las Vegas, it looks like LA may have landed a steal.

It was a slow start for one of the youngest players in the entire NBA, but Christie — who turns 19 on Wednesday — had his best performance of the summer in Sunday's semifinal loss against the Grizzlies. The former Gophers standout had 22 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 6-of-11 shooting from three-point range.

"This is something that I have been going to since I was a little kid," Christie told the media. "To have the oppportunity to finally come out here and compete at a high level against a bunch of other great players, it was a surreal moment, it was super fun."

#Gophers Cam Christie (@24CameronC) put together his best game of the Summer League today in the semifinals:

🛥️22 points
🛥️FG: (7-13)
🛥️3P: (6-11)
🛥️3 rebounds
🛥️2 assists

pic.twitter.com/rUY7W8SpRo

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) July 21, 2024

Christie played 25.5 minutes per game for the Clippers across five contests, averaging 11.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 37.3/40.5/80 shooting splits. His numbers looked eerily similar to what he posted in his lone season in college: 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game on 40.3/49.1/79.1 shooting splits.

“Shoot the ball. And that's his gift," Clippers Summer League head coach Dahntay Jones said after their first game. "His God-given ability is to shoot the ball when he's open, to create space for others, and help him grow on the defensive side of the ball. Tonight, he competed and that's all you can ask for."

Despite some inconsistency, this was Christie's first time playing in a professional setting and he looked like he belonged. After letting Paul George walk in free agency and trading away Russell Westbrook this offseason, it seems as if the Clippers are focused on a youth movement — and Christie fits that timeline. If he can defend and hit threes at a high rate, he could have a promising future in the NBA.