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NBA: 6 Sophomore players primed for a breakout season in 2023-24

By Charlie Spungin

Dec 7, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) dribbles against New Orleans Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels (11) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) dribbles against New Orleans Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels (11) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA Max Christie (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports) /

Pacific Division (decent) breakout candidates: Max Christie (LAL)

Honorable Mentions: Keegan Murray, Moussa Diabate

We’re getting to the weaker divisions. These three players are the only ones in the division that were in the 2022 draft. It didn’t feel right to put Keegan Murray as the breakout candidate, as I like the product that he already is. Max Christie, however, has some intrigue, much more than Moussa Diabate of the other Los Angeles team.

The 35th pick, Christie only appeared in 41 games for the Lakers and averaged 12.5 minutes per game in those appearances. Truthfully, it’s not surprising. He was a second-round pick for a team that ultimately made the Western Conference Finals, so him getting little playing time means nothing.

The best part about Christie’s game is his defense. He’s a really good on-ball defender despite only being 20 years old, and it’s his avenue to playing time next year. He navigates screens well and is simply very talented in this part of the game. At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, he can be really, really good on this end. He has the tools.

His offense is a very interesting case. On low volume (1.5 3PA/g), Christie shot 41.9%, from beyond the arc, effective both above the break and in the corner. If he can prove that this shooting is legitimate, he has the potential to become one of the best 3-and-D players in the league one day. He also looked very comfortable attacking closeouts and coming off of ball screens in the limited possessions that he did. On only 0.5 attempts per game, he had an eFG% of 52.4% on pull-up jumpers, which is quite good. Again, that’s an incredibly small sample.

This two-way potential is amazing. This clip had Lakers Twitter in a headlock.

In the Lakers’ opening Summer League game versus the Miami Heat last night, Christie was easily the top player for Los Angeles. He scored 17 points on 6-11 shooting (1-3 from three), but what is more important is the way that those points came. His handle was pretty good, and he looked quite comfortable getting to mid-range pull-ups, step-backs, his floater, and even getting downhill and finishing at the rim. He was the only life for the Lakers for the majority of the game, especially the start.

Christie has a legit chance to be the Lakers’ backup shooting guard next season. If this shooting and offense prove to be legitimate, he can seriously be an impactful player for a team that has hopes of contending. His shooting percentages likely won’t remain as good as they were on higher volume, but if Christie can prove to be a 36% or 37% shooter from three, that would be huge for him.