The Los Angeles Lakers are currently sitting with a 34-21 record. They have won eight of their last 10 games, including two straight. In their last contest, they torched the Denver Nuggets 123-100, where four starters scored 20-plus points.
This was by far Luka Doncic's best game as a Laker, racking up 32 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.
As Doncic continues to get settled in with Los Angeles, head coach JJ Redick is still keeping tabs on one of his former players. That guy is Max Christie. Redick acknowledged that he'll be invested in Christie "for the rest of his career." He added that Christie has more freedom on the offensive end with Dallas and would have eventually gotten the same opportunity with the Lakers down the line.
JJ Redick said he’s happy to see Max Christie succeeding in Dallas and he’s a player that Redick will be invested in “for the rest of his career.” He said Christie has increased offensive freedom in Dallas and he thinks he would’ve eventually gotten that type of freedom in LA.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 24, 2025
JJ Redick Keeping Tabs on Max Christie
Christie was included in the trade package that got Doncic over to Los Angeles, and he's taken full advantage of the increased playing time.
Over eight games with the Mavericks, the 22-year-old is averaging 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in 32.6 minutes of action.
Although it's been in a short sample size, those are all career highs for the Michigan State product. He's even shooting 43.6% from beyond the arc, with 15-plus points in seven of the last eight games.
Prior to getting flipped to Dallas, Christie was averaging 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game with the Lakers this season.
He's someone that Redick likes to watch. He was able to coach Christie for four months and saw what he was able to capable of. It's not a surprise to see that Redick is keeping tabs on his former player. Redick is a genuine coach who cares about his player's development.
It doesn't change that Christie isn't on the team anymore. Redick loves the game of basketball and will be checking in on his former player during his free time.