The Los Angeles Lakers have long pursued the best possible talent and filled in the blanks once the stars were in place. It's a proven formula that's resulted in 17 championship seasons, but as the NBA evolves, the Lakers must be willing to grow with it.
Depth is more important than perhaps ever before—and Los Angeles head coach JJ Redick has positioned himself to succeed by leading a shift in the franchise's priorities.
Redick has been a proponent of prioritizing depth since he was an analyst, even taking part in a full segment discussing the need for it on the Mind the Game podcast with LeBron James. There's only so much Los Angeles could've done to alter the structure of its roster this offseason, but Redick has already begun to put his money where his mouth is.
Redick has committed to the starting lineup that helped Los Angeles go 22-10 after February 3 and is placing a strong emphasis on valuing the talent that will support them.
No player better epitomizes how Redick is changing the Lakers' approach to success than Max Christie. Christie re-signed with the Lakers earlier this summer on a four-year, $32 million deal that signified how vast the divide was between Rob Pelinka and former head coach Darvin Ham.
It's only the preseason, but the level of interest that Redick has taken in Christie's development is the greatest example of how he's positioned himself for a successful tenure in Los Angeles.
JJ Redick is prioritizing depth—a trait the Lakers too long discarded
The investment in Christie has been consistent between the front office and Redick's coaching staff. The 21-year-old has been positioned to not only play a potentially significant role in 2024-25, but to develop with a sense of job security given his four-year deal.
It's a far cry from his early NBA experiences, during which time he averaged 13.5 minutes per game while playing on a two-year contract that expired before he could find a steady place in Ham's rotation.
The early returns have been intriguing, as Christie has visibly put on muscle and is playing with more confidence on both ends of the floor. He played upwards of 29 minutes in each of the Lakers' first two preseason games, and has maintained his defensive intensity throughout the four outings.
Even when he's struggled, the investment in his potential has been a consistent reminder of how Los Angeles has finally permitted itself to sustain success.
If Christie lives up to his potential, then the Lakers will have an NBA-caliber player on the books for an average of just $8 million per season. If he fails to, then his salary will be a tradable asset that teams would likely be willing to take a chance on due to his youth and untapped potential.
Rather than disregarding the value to be found in a situation like this, Redick has implemented a system that projects to provide Christie with every opportunity to make a name for himself.
It may not be as flashy of a decision as developing the next All-NBA player to lead the Lakers into the future, but a case could be made that it's of similar significance. Obviously, no one role player will be as valuable as a superstar, but the sum of the parts of a strong supporting cast must be of a championship caliber if a team hopes to win in the modern NBA.
As Redick gives Christie every opportunity to succeed in 2024-25 and beyond, the Lakers are finally embracing that harsh reality. It's a simple, but fundamental example of how Redick has set himself up to succeed as a head coach.