Lakers News: Insider Outlines Biggest Areas of Improvement for Max Christie

Is he next up in Laker land?

It feels like there is more young talent than ever in the NBA right now. With a number of top prospects coming into the league every year whether they are from overseas, college and now even American-based leagues such as the G-League and Overtime Elite have been developing some top lottery picks.

Teams are starting to see the longevity of their success increase when they have a younger core on their hands and even though they cannot pay all of them after some years, it's a risk they are willing to take. And the Lakers have had quite the success over the past couple of seasons when it comes to spotting gems in the draft process and it appears that Max Christie is next in line to take a big leap.

Christie caught the attention of many NBA fans in the 2023 summer league as he became the primary scoring option and averaged around 19 points while getting buckets at all three levels. Everybody watched Austin Reaves take over the starting shooting guard spot for LA last season and he did so by committing to playing hard on both ends and not being scared of the moment.

Yahoo Sports' Robert Marvi called to attention some improvements he believes could help Christie take a similar leap this coming year and first off, he believes that he needs to lock in on defense due to his physical attributes.

"While the Lakers became a very good defensive team after the All-Star break this past season, they could use additional effective wing defenders.

Jarred Vanderbilt

did well in that category, but his offensive limitations caused his playing time to plunge during the playoffs. Christie has shown excellent effort on the defensive end since Los Angeles drafted him a year ago. It’s time for him to turn that effort into outstanding results."

(Via Yahoo Sports)

He also believes that putting on some muscle could go a long way for the rising wing.

"It’s time for the guard to continue to get stronger. Doing so could help him accomplish the first goal above of becoming a great defender while also helping him withstand the rigors of a long NBA season. The Lakers are

reportedly confident

Christie will crack their rotation. An additional 10 pounds or so of muscle would greatly increase his chances of doing so."

(Via Yahoo Sports)

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