Lakers News: Fringe Rotation Role Player Convinced He Improved Last Year

This young Los Angeles player believes he improved last year despite inconsistent minutes.

Mar 18, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) dribbles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Max Christie (10) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers struggled to find their groove throughout the 2023-24 season. Although it still ended with 47 wins, it was a disappointing season, with many players not living up to expectations for a variety of reasons. One player who was a victim of that was Lakers guard Max Christie. Last season was supposed to be the year his minutes would climb up, and he would be a consistent piece in the rotation.

However, none of that happened with the previous coaching staff, and it might've hurt the Lakers' chances last season. While many view that as the case, Christie doesn't view it like that.

Christie told The Athletic's Jovan Buha that he believes that he improved last year despite the adversity the team and he faced.

"Overall, I think it was a really good season for me," said Christie. It was a huge growth season for me. I hit a lot of adversity in terms of not playing and whatnot, but still, I think I got better even though I wasn't getting a lot of live game minutes, and so to me, that's a successful season."

Christie is keeping a positive attitude despite his lack of playing time last season. All signs point to Christie playing a big role with the Lakers this upcoming season, as general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick have raved about what he can do for the team. Last season, Christie only averaged 14 minutes per game; that number should jump significantly the following season.

L.A. will look to find another player to help out the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and if Christie can improve game by game, like the Lakers hope, he could be a massive piece for the next four seasons.

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