Lakers News: Pundit Identifies Max Christie's Biggest Improvement in 2023 Summer League

Christie should crack the rotation if all goes well..

The best news of the summer for the Los Angeles Lakers came from the NBA summer league and the growth of second year forward Max Christie. The team wanted to see if he had grown as a player in these games and he surely showed them that he deserves a rotation spot for this upcoming season.

Christie showed out during his time in the games, averaging 19.8 points over the five games he played in. His summer ended a little early as he suffered a minor injury and the team decided to hold him out the rest of the way. But he showed enough and proved that he was “too good for summer league”.

He was impressive from all points on the court and showed some things that many didn’t believe he would develop yet. His mid-range game came about and seemed to unlock something in his overall game.

NBA writer John Hollinger of The Athletic was blown away by Christie in the summer league and looked at his biggest improvement.

"For a guy who showed absolutely zero off-the-bounce game at Michigan State and in his rookie year with L.A., it was a pretty shocking turn of events. Christie helped his numbers with strong perimeter shooting (11-of-20 from 3), the part of his game that always seemed most likely to translate."

Per The Athletic

His ability to hit three-point shots at a consistent rate was a nice sign for LA. Christie can help the Lakers this season as a three-and-D type wing, which will help his chances at staying in the rotation.

He looked aggressive during the games, driving to the rim with ease. Christie looked for his shot when on the court and he looked comfortable doing so. At times during the season with the Lakers, he was timid with the ball and looked like he didn’t want to make a mistake. But now he seems over that and is ready to help the team in whatever way he can.

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