By most means and measures, the Los Angeles Lakers spent the 2024 offseason in a dormant state. Rather than making the splash most expected them to, they prioritized the NBA Draft and utilized free agency to re-sign Max Christie and LeBron James.
While it appeared as though the investment in Christie was more about the long-term, the recent returns on the Lakers' investment have revealed how much value he can provide in 2024-25.
Christie struggled early in 2024-25, shooting 25.0 percent from beyond the arc in October and 31.0 percent in November. There were flashes of brilliance in November, including three games during which he scored in double figures, but inconsistency on the court resulted in erratic playing time.
Thankfully, Christie has parlayed the moments of bliss into sustained quality in December—a truth that has secured him a continued place in the starting lineup.
JJ Redick said he is sticking with the current starting lineup of Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Max Christie & Austin Reaves. He already spoke with Dorian Finney-Smith and told him he’ll be coming off the bench. He said he’ll continue to evaluate the starting group.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) December 30, 2024
Much could change between now and the end of the season, but the Lakers committing to Christie as a starter is a promising sign for his development.
Max Christie locked into the Lakers' starting lineup
The trade for Dorian Finney-Smith has thrown the Lakers' rotation into a state of flux, but his status as a reserve creates the space for Christie to continue to thrive as a starter. It's a justified commitment to his future based not only on his upside, but the way he's turned his season around.
One of the shining examples of how far Christie has come: After scoring at least 10 points just once in his first 15 appearances, he's done so eight times over the past 16.
Christie was objectively erratic over the first 15 games, averaging 4.1 points on .360/.250/.833 shooting. Over the past 16, however, he's raised those marks to 9.9 points per game on a slash line of .476/.412/.889.
Christie has taken his scoring to an entirely different level in recent days, scoring at least 16 points in each of the Lakers' past three games.
Christie's quality play has resulted in him starting each of the Lakers' past eight games. The results have been just as rewarding on a team level, as Los Angeles has gone 6-2 during that stretch, including five wins in six tries.
There are still issues to resolve, but Christie solidifying his status as a competitive defender who can consistently convert the three-ball has completely transformed the Lakers' starting lineup.
It's within the realm of possibility that Redick could experiment with his starting formation. That includes potentially including Finney-Smith or promising rookie Dalton Knecht over Christie, which would beckon the question of how the pieces would fit moving forward.
If Christie was maligned for his first 15 games, however, he should receive praise in equal measure for what he's been able to provide over the past 16 as a glue guy in Los Angeles.