Former MSU Star Breaks Out on National Stage

"I was just making shots," Christie said postgame. "I work on it all the time, and I'm very confident in my jumper. My teammates did a great job of cracking the seams and getting me open shots, and I was able to knock them down."

Max Christie's NBA Development

Adjusting to the Dallas environment after being included in the infamous trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers could not have been easy for Christie. When the trade happened, he had carved out a minor role for the Lakers, but he was suddenly thrust into an organization that had disposed of its franchise player.

However, since joining the Mavericks, Christie has seen his role increase. He played in 32 games after the trade, averaging 11.2 points for his new team. He's carried that production over to this season, currently ranking fifth on the Dallas team in scoring and among its leaders in three-point percentage.

Monday's game was the ninth consecutive in which he scored at least 10 points, showcasing the scoring ability that we had hoped for but only glimpsed during his time in East Lansing and his two-plus seasons with the Lakers.

"For me, being able to have a consistent role here is great," Christie said after a recent win over the Utah Jazz. "Even when I was with the Lakers, I think I still did a good job of carving out a role during the end of my time there, playing well. I think it's just experience as you continue to get a little bit older and more experienced with a lot more games. You just get more comfortable."

While Dallas doesn't have a great roster, Christie does seem much more comfortable, and he's able to learn from one of the best ever to do it as he continues to develop and refine his game: current teammate Klay Thompson, who recently crossed the 17,000-point mark.

"Any time you're around someone like that, you want to soak up as much as you can," Christie said. "I'm very blessed to be around someone like him, to be able to call him my teammate, and be able to be around him the last year and a half."

Christie also credits veteran assistant coach Phil Handy for his help in developing him into an NBA player.

"He's a rich basketball mind, and he's been around some of the best in the game as well," Christie explained. "So me being able to pick his brain and really pay attention to all the points he's giving me, with the teaching that he's been able to provide for me, he's definitely a big part of the development I've had."

Looking back at Christie in East Lansing

Many questioned Christie's decision to leave Michigan State after just one year in which he fell from a projected lottery pick to the top of the second round. Yet, he's stuck with the process and has now become a valuable part of the Dallas Mavericks, showing all of us exactly why he bet on himself during Monday's game. He has a bright future in the NBA if he continues along the same trajectory, and the league found that out against the Knicks.

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