Lakers Draft nugget number two: Josh Christopher is a very active player that will compete on both ends!
Josh Christopher just doesn’t use his athleticism just to get offensive numbers. He can apply it defensively to his advantage. Christopher averaged 1.5 steals per game last year using his wingspan to jump passing lanes for easy transition baskets. More often or not when Christopher made steals he was a one man fast break.
That’s both a strength and a weakness because Christopher is very good at finishing near the rim.
The Lakers will love the fact that Josh will stick his nose in and grab rebounds. He averaged 4.7 rebounds per game during his freshman season. Out of the 15 games he played, Christopher had four or more rebounds in 12 contests and collected a career-high 11 boards against UCLA.
This is a blueprint description of a player that is active on both ends of the floor.
ASU ends the first half against UCLA with a defensive stand on a block by Pavlo Dziuba (@Dz1ub1) and solid offensive rebounding from Josh Christopher (@Jaygup23) and Marcus Bagley (@bagleymarcus23).
— Mason Kern Local4 (@MasonKernMedia) January 8, 2021
Sun Devils lead 30-28. Christopher leads all scorers with 10. @SunDevilSource pic.twitter.com/D4orkLiPu0
Play number one:
Watch Christopher (Number 13 in yellow!) as he runs back on defense as UCLA runs their fast break. When the shot is blocked, watch how hard he runs the other way from rim to rim. When his teammate misses the floater in the lane, look who is there for the tip in…Josh Christopher!
Play number two:
As the Sun Devils guard brings the ball up, you can see Christopher at the 3 point line on the right side. Instead of parking himself in the corner waiting for the pass, he cuts backdoor and receives the pass for the shot. Even though he missed, a teammate was there for the offensive rebound.
Why is that important? How many times did you see Kentavious Caldwell-Pope do this at the end of the season?
The instincts for making plays near the rim always puts this prospect in good spots to get rebounds when they come available. Then when the rebound is collected, he has the ability to get the ball and start the fast break on his own.
If Lake Show Life sees these things, know that the Lakers scouts have seen and like these attributes. They are known to be drawn to players with motors like this. Players like Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker and Devontae Cacok are success stories.
Yes, Lake Show Life does see weaknesses in Josh Christopher’s game. 15 games of college ball tends to leave quite a few. Hope he doesn’t take it personally, this website does the same to the superstars…