With the Lakers hoping for a miracle against the Denver Nuggets, fans were quick to point out the struggles of the supporting cast, especially the guards. Aside from the red-hot performance by D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie and Gabe Vincent have left a lot to be desired. Both have yet to put the ball in the basket this series, and have each tallied two rebounds and two assists. Austin Reaves also struggled, scoring an inefficient nine points (4/11 FG, 1/5 3PT) on Monday.
And to add insult to injury, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood were just ruled out for game 3.
The issues in LA’s rotation have some fans advocating for another option: giving 21-year-old Max Christie a shot at the defending champs.
Should Lakers Turn to Young Guard in Game 3 vs. Denver?
Background
Max Christie is one of a handful of Lakers returning from last year’s roster. Despite a lack of action in the regular season, he has used the minutes he’s gotten to display his potential. In 67 games (7 starts), the second-year guard averaged 4.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists while shooting 42% from the field and 35% from distance. He showed an ability to defend high-level players while scoring at all three levels and making plays when needed. This year, Christie logged seven double-digit outings, including season-high 14-point nights against the Heat and Suns.
Christie recently appeared on the gaming podcast “Join the Lobby”, where he outlined the playoff preparation and how it differs from the regular season:
“Your preparation for teams is way different, because you’re playing them at least four times in a row—at max seven times. You also know what they like to get to, you got 82 games of film you can watch…You win by the mental side, the preparation, the game plan. What are you going to take away? You can’t just win with talent all the time.”
He also reflected on LA’s past meeting in the Western Conference Finals and his keys to victory:
“[In the Western Conference Finals], we lost four in a row but in [the] collection of points we lost by…I think it was 20, 21, or 24 points…Every possession counts, so it’s the little details, and every team’s got to do that. The thing with the playoffs is, you can’t get too high or too low off of game one and game two.”
The message has come full circle after the momentum swung Denver’s way. As LA aims to protect home court, it’s clear some changes could be in order.
Are Max Christie Minutes a Possibility?
Head coach Darvin Ham has drawn criticism from fans all year, but now, some are asking him to insert Christie—who has merely observed the postseason from the bench—into the playoff rotation.
Christie rarely saw the court in the regular season vs. Denver. His only meaningful appearance came on Feb. 8, where he played 15 minutes and logged seven points, two rebounds and one assist. That lack of experience could go against Christie’s case, but there’s more to the story. As mentioned earlier, he has used all of his 6’6” frame to be disruptive on defense while getting timely buckets and soaring for highlight plays. Christie has also competed against contenders and has held his own against them, which should add to his votes of confidence. The young guard’s defense could be critical against Denver’s guards and wings, and it wouldn’t hurt to throw him against the Nuggets’ bench players. With the Lakers facing a myriad of obstacles, it may be worth seeing what Christie can do in a playoff environment.
Time and again, Max Christie has made the most of his minutes and has stepped up in his second year. As the postseason continues and the Lakers keep experimenting with options, Christie deserves to prove he can hold down the fort on both ends of the floor.
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