Lakers News: LA Exec Admits Draft Pick Max Christie is a Longterm Project

Max Christie shined at Michigan State, but still has some progress to make before becoming a key asset for the Lakers.

19 year old, Max Christie shows much promise through both his shooting and defense but despite being the 35th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Lakers agree that Christie still has some work to do. 

The Lakers have kept a steady eye on him for the past few years as he was named a five-star recruit and ranked No. 3 in his class as a shooting guard.

After signing a fully guaranteed two-year, $2.74 million deal in early July, Christie struggled on the shooting end during the Summer League which brought a little bit of concern. 

The recent signee made just 20% of his threes in eight summer league games.

But the Lakers management remains confident in their choice and are still deeply impressed by his defensive skills thanks to his 6-foot-9 wingspan.

Jesse Buss, vice president of player development and research, worked closely with Christie and always commended him on his level of maturity and "depth" of answers for his age as well as his strong skill set going into the draft (quotes via The Athletic's Jovan Buha). 

"I think all the tools are there...The talent is definitely there, and I think it’s going to come for him. I think just getting adjusted to the next level is going to be a step in progression for him. And it’s going to be a challenge...But we believe he’s the type of guy that’s going to put in the work and that’s going to do all the right things to keep progressing as a player in this league.”

Jordan Ott, Lakers assistant coach and head coach of the Las Vegas Summer League team, had this to say about watching Christie so far:

"He’s just putting in so much effort defensively, and that’s what we need...We need him to start on the defensive side. The offensive side, it’ll come.”

For example, the No. 4 pick in the draft and summer league MVP, Keegan Murray, struggled offensively when Christie matched up with him with him. 

In the past, the Lakers have selected multiple young but promising players in the draft such as Brandon Ingram, Ivica Zubac, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Austin Reaves who later became key assets to the Lakers' success. 

Although he only sported a Spartans jersey for one year, the 3-and-D player scored 324 points across 35 games, 117 of those points from 3's alone. He also locked it down on defense, collecting 18 steals and 17 blocks. 

Hopefully Christie continues to develop into the players the Lakers know he can be and fans can expect him to start making some waves in the big leagues soon.