“He was excellent. » The compliment is simple but as it is signed by LeBron James, it will undoubtedly have a particular force for Max Christie. It must be said that the back was very good in defense on Ja Morant in his team’s victory on Sunday evening, to hamper the Memphis All-Star, who finished with an ugly 6/21 shooting and seven lost balls.
The young player has had his chance in the major five for a few days. JJ Redick continues to tinker to find the rare pearl around his quartet LeBron James – Austin Reaves – Rui Hachimura – Anthony Davis. First it was D’Angelo Russell, then Dalton Knecht, with a Cam Reddish shot for a while and finally a try with Gabe Vincent.
Learn on the job
Between injuries and his hesitations, the coach has already used 11 different formations in just 26 matches. And Gabe Vincent, after taking advantage of the absences of LeBron James and Austin Reaves, found his place among the replacements.
“It wasn’t an easy decision and we really think Gabe has been fantastic over the last two weeks, especially on defense,” specifies JJ Redick. “He also had good matches in attack. I find that, for Max Christie, his size and athleticism, plus his feel for the game and his movement, were important. »
Completely neglected in mid-November, he now finds himself starting… “Being thrown into the heat of the moment is how I progress. In recent seasons, I have not been faced with tense situations, with a lot of pressure. This year, yes, and against Oklahoma City, I made a big mistake, that’s obvious”he remembers on his voluntary and unnecessary foul in the final seconds, which allowed the Thunder to have free throws and validate their success.
Important opportunities to learn
He made up for it a few days later, in Atlanta, by countering Trae Young at the last second to send the two teams into overtime. “These opportunities are good for him, in the long term and for his progress. He made a mistake against Oklahoma City and a week later, in the same situation in Atlanta, he countered Young. For young people, it helps to gain confidence and learn”summarizes JJ Redick.
Having started for three matches and with his 8.7 points average over this sequence, how long will the young 21-year-old back have before his coach changes five majors again? No one knows, so you might as well take advantage of it to gain experience.
“Honestly, it’s nice and it feels good to see my progress over the past three seasons. I find that I have slowly improved,” estimates the man who now has 14 starts under his belt, in 133 career matches. “I played in important situations and they were good experiences for me. Like defending late in the game on a player like Ja Morant. This reflects my progress and I want to continue like this. »
| Max Christie | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | LAL | 41 | 13 | 41.5 | 41.9 | 87.5 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 3.1 |
| 2023-24 | LAL | 67 | 14 | 42.7 | 35.6 | 78.3 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 4.2 |
| 2024-25 | LAL | 25 | 20 | 41.7 | 32.1 | 85.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 6.2 |
| Total | 133 | 15 | 42.2 | 36.5 | 82.7 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 4.3 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
