Lakers head coach JJ Redick took a moment to credit an unsung hero on the roster after the win over the Spurs. While LeBron James will get most of the headlines for his historic performance, the Lakers got a lot of help off the bench in their first In-Season Tournament game. With this in mind, Redick gave a postgame message to third-year player Max Christie via Senior NBA reporter for The Athletic, Jovan Buha.
“When you play like that, I don’t want to take you off the court.”
Max Christie could work his way into Redick’s rotation
Christie is a 21-year-old who the Lakers drafted out of Michigan State in 2022. He has spent much time with the franchise as a two-way player, averaging around 13 minutes per contest. However, Friday night might have been Christie’s breakout game to get a more permanent role in the rotation. “Mad Max” scored eleven points with two steals and a block, leading the Lakers with a plus/minus of +23.
Los Angeles held off Victor Wembanyama and company in their 120-115 win, mainly due to Christie, LeBron, and Anthony Davis. “AD” had a monster game, scoring 40 points and twelve rebounds. This kind of performance has been par the course for the Lakers’ star big, who has played like an MVP candidate to this point.
JJ Redick’s team has won their past four games, compiling a record of 8-4. Opening up the In-Season Tournament with a victory is crucial for Los Angeles’ chances to defend its title due to its stacked group. Coming out of a pool with the Phoenix Suns and the title-contending Oklahoma City Thunder will be very difficult if the Lakers don’t win games against lesser teams.
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Going forward, Los Angeles will look to continue its strong start to the season as the current number-five team in the West. LeBron James and company are trying to avoid going through the Play-In for a third straight year. Losing in the first round again is not an option for this franchise, considering the ages of its two stars.
Over the offseason, General Manager Rob Pelinka brought back most of last season’s roster, which lost in the first round to the Denver Nuggets. This conservative approach means that young players like Austin Reaves, Max Christie, Dalton Knetcht, and others must continue to develop for the franchise to have a chance at raising banner 18.
Looking ahead in the schedule, the Lakers will have the opportunity to exorcise some of those postseason demons when they play the Nuggets on November 23. A player like Christie could play a key role in guarding famed Laker killer Jamal Murray.
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