Former Michigan State Guard Finishing Breakout Season Strong
Former Michigan State guard Max Christie is closing the regular season with career highs in almost every major statistical category.
Christie started his third NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft. The forward was amid a breakout season and became a key rotational player for the Purple and Gold, averaging over 25 minutes per game.
That was until February when Christie was an asset in return to the Dallas Mavericks in the infamous Luka Doncic trade.
Since Christie joined the Mavericks, their season took a spiral, forward Anthony Davis was injured in his Dallas debut, and guard Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending knee injury, all while the majority of the Mavericks’ fanbase was actively rooting against the organization after trading their beloved superstar.
Through all the chaos, Christie is still performing at a very high level. In 30 games, Christie is averaging 10.9 points per game. With an injury-decimated roster, the Mavericks have looked for Christie to be a key offensive contributor, as he averages nearly double-digit field goal attempts per game.
In the first meeting between the Lakers and Mavericks in Dallas, Christie scored an efficient 11 points with three assists and three rebounds. The former Spartan showed signs of improvement defensively, with two blocks and a steal against his former team.
However, this game wasn’t about Christie. Doncic returned to Dallas with vengeance, providing a 45-point performance, as the Lakers coasted to a 112-97 win on Wednesday.
The Mavericks will be the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference play-in and are unlikely to advance to the playoffs, but there is hope that if the roster can be healthy, Dallas will be competitive with its veteran core.
Christie was the last one-and-done player at Michigan State before freshman Jase Richardson entered the NBA Draft on Tuesday. Unlike Richardson, Christie didn't receive as much hype as a prospect.
However, Christie agreed to a four-year, $32-million contract extension with the Lakers last offseason. Especially with potential second-apron salary cap concerns, Christie’s breakout season has resulted in him having one of the best value contracts in the NBA.
Christie will have the opportunity to continue his development with the Mavericks over the next three seasons as he shares the court with multiple future Hall of Famers.
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