The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a start that few can rationally complain about. Despite the rush of injuries that have depleted the Lakers' depth at center, first-year head coach JJ Redick has built a dominant home team with the tools to right the ship on the road.
Unfortunately, if there's only one area in which a truly concerning blemish has emerged, it's the current uncertainty surrounding Max Christie—an issue he's begun to address.
Christie re-signed with the Lakers during the 2024 offseason on a four-year, $32 million contract. The immediate hope was that Redick would feature the 21-year-old shooting guard in his rotation after former head coach Darvin Ham limited him to 13.5 minutes per game across two seasons.
Unfortunately, Christie is averaging just 14.6 minutes per contest in 2024-25 and had seemingly been shifted to an all-but-forgotten place in the rotation.
Christie received 18.2 minutes per game in October, including the 23 he played against the Phoenix Suns and the 27 he saw at the Cleveland Cavaliers. Unfortunately, he played fewer than five minutes in three of the next six games.
It's still early in the regular season, but figuring out how to consistently incorporate Christie into the rotation will be an essential step for Redick to take during his first season as the Lakers' head coach.
Max Christie proving Lakers must remain patient with his development
The crucial context when discussing Christie falling out of Redick's rotation is that he's struggled mightily at times in 2024-25. He's shooting just 37.5 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from beyond the arc through his first 11 appearances, and that only scratches the surface of the bigger picture.
Thus far in 2024-25, the Lakers are being outscored by an unfathomable 14.7 points per 100 possessions when Christie is on the court—and are outscoring opponents by 6.1 when he isn't.
The first figure seems impossible, but it's the unfortunate reality of how the early days of the regular season have played out. Christie hasn't been forcing the issue, but he's also been missing wide-open shots and struggling to provide the defensive consistency expected of him.
In saying that, it'd be a fool's errand to write him off this early in the season—and he proved as much against the San Antonio Spurs.
Christie finished the 120-115 road win over San Antonio with a season-high 11 points, as well as three rebounds, one assist, two steals, and a block. It was a refreshing display that earned rave reviews from Redick, who continues to have faith in the 21-year-old's potential.
It was also a reminder of the simple fact that dismissing a 21-year-old with upside based on an 10-game sample size would've been beyond irresponsible.
Christie is a career 37.0 percent shooter from beyond the arc, which makes his current mark of 30.0 percent easier to dismiss. It's also worth noting that Christie is shooting 37.5 percent on catch-and-shoot threes, but has missed all four of his pull-up attempts.
Thankfully, Redick has maintained a logical perspective and appears willing to give Christie every opportunity to earn his place in the rotation.