Lakers News: Max Christie Unfazed by Poor Shooting During Summer League

Lakers draft pick Max Christie struggled with his shooting in Las Vegas Summer League, but isn't letting it affect his confidence.

The Lakers had to buy their way into last month's NBA Draft. LA made a trade with the Orlando Magic to acquire a second-round pick and continue their offseason of adding youth and athleticism to the roster. Rob Pelinka and the front office selected Michigan State swingman Max Christie with the 35th overall pick. Christie profiles as future 3-and-D player, but was missing the "3" part of the profile during Summer League play.

Christie shot just 20% from three in eight summer league games. In a recent interview with The Athletic's Jovan Buha, Christie didn't shy away from his poor shooting in his first sips of NBA-caliber action.

“The one thing that’s obviously sticking out is I’m just not making 3-pointers or jump shots right now. ...I’m just not really worried about it.I know I’m a good 3-point shooter. I think that’ll come with time. That’s probably my biggest strength. It’s just not happening right now.”

Christie explained that he thinks processing the speed of the NBA game and over-thinking things on the court are partially to blame.

“I think it’s mental pretty much at this point. I think every time I catch the ball, I’m really focusing on making the shot because I’m trying so hard. That’s why I miss those all the time. I think it’ll take time just mentally decompressing when I get the ball and knowing I can knock the shot down."

Make no mistake, Christie is a long ways away from being an impact player this coming season. One NBA scout noted in his pre-draft reports that Christie might even struggle a bit in the G-League in his first year. 

The swingman is a project, but the Lakers scouting and player development, led by Jesse Buss, appears confident that Christie can mature into a valuable wing for Los Angeles.