Two of the Los Angeles Lakers’ youngest players, Max Christie and Jalen Hood-Schifino, have earned plaudits in the first week of training camp.

D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves shouted out Hood-Schifino on Tuesday. Darvin Ham called him the “MVP” of the Day 1 scrimmages. Anthony Davis joined the chorus.

Unless the rookie point guard utterly dominates all preseason, though, he’s a long-shot to earn an opening night rotation spot. Russell, Reaves, Gabe Vincent, and LeBron James are above him on the lead-ball-handler call sheet.

Lakers breakout candidate: Max Christie, the closer?

Christie figures to play a major role in that backcourt. Throughout his impressive Summer League run — during which he dropped a previously unforeseen bag of on-ball creation — Christie stated his goal to begin 2023-24 in the rotation. He echoed — and somewhat hedged — those sentiments after Lakers practice on Friday.

“That's the goal, but I'm not gonna live and die by that goal. If I don't get in the rotation to start, that's OK. If I do get in, that's great.”

Christie, 6’5, has added 15 pounds of muscle since the 2022 NBA Draft (he's at 205). He believes the mass is already benefiting his defense.

“He’s already competitive,” Ham said about when asked what Christie can do to win the backup wing job. “He has to have a defensive focus and just the right way offensively, which he does. And really turn up the aggression. He’s one of our most athletic players. … Just simplify — shoot the 3 when you’re open, when you put it on the floor, make sure you’re going downhill if you’re not going into another action with a teammate…That’s what he can do: stay competitive, defend like there’s no tomorrow, keep it simple but yet aggressive offensively.”

“Max Christie is a dog,” Jaxson Hayes remarked after the third day of camp. “His game has stood out a lot to me. I watched him in Summer League. … He’s come out here and just kept the same energy and the same mentality. So, he’s been killing it.”

 

Christie exceeded expectations as a 19-year-old rookie. Across a surprisingly early, albeit brief, stint in the rotation in November and a 20-game stretch in December-January, Christie shot 23-of-52 (44.2%) from 3. His smarts, athleticism, and two-way potential were clear as day. He rarely attacked, but he didn’t make a ton of glaring mistakes, either.

He's already feeling like a veteran in his second camp.

“I definitely feel more comfortable,” he said. “I can just tell by the way I carry myself. I think I see things a lot easier than last year for sure. … I think that just shows my aggressiveness on the floor when I'm playing, offensively and defensively.”

Christie earning that coveted rotation spot — and being a consistently positive contributor all season — would be no surprise. In fact, it would be stunning if he was healthy yet wasn’t the first shooting guard off the bench on Oct. 24 vs. the Denver Nuggets.

The more interesting development to monitor will regard his usage late in games. Christie's two-way skill set, rebounding instincts, and poise should behoove his team in crunchtime. If Russell is cold and/or Ham wants some size, a Reaves/Christie closing backcourt could become a useful card in Ham's pocket. Of course, he'll have to earn — then validate — the trust of his head coach.

“He doesn’t play outside of himself,” noted Ham. “You give him some marching orders and he’s going to execute whether it’s an individual assignment or where he has to be within concepts of team defense. A really, really smart kid. High IQ and really just solid all around.”