Max Christie believes chemistry and health are key reasons why Lakers cannot be overlooked in the West
Despite the LA Lakers' quiet offseason, reserve shooting guard Max Christie recently expressed confidence in his squad's chances of contending for next year's NBA title. He cited the Lakers' ever-growing chemistry and improved health as two key reasons they can defy expectations in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
Coming off a 4-1 first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets, LA has unexpectedly had one of the league's most conservative summers. After re-signing Christie and superstar forward LeBron James, it lost veterans Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie in free agency. Meanwhile, its only roster additions have been rookies Dalton Knecht and Bronny James.
Nevertheless, on "Buha's Block" with The Athletic's Jovan Buha on Monday, Christie laid out why he's so bullish on the Lakers. He highlighted the value of retaining their veteran core, headlined by James and his co-star Anthony Davis. According to Christie, continuity has been a growing trend among recent championship contenders.
"If you kind of look at the blueprint with teams that have been winning recently, for the most part, a lot of the teams stick together for a while," Christie said. "... So, I like the idea of us kind of running it back with the group that we have because I thought we really got along well, I think we had good chemistry together, and I think we just need more experience with each other."
Christie also touched on the Lakers' room for improvement with defensive-minded forward Jarred Vanderbilt and reserve point guard Gabe Vincent getting healthy. This past season, the duo only suited up in a combined 40 games due to foot and knee injuries.
Christie added that he and LA's rookies could also bolster the team's bench next season.
"Like you said, we have two rookies with Dalton and Bronny, Gabe and Vando are both healthy, and then, hopefully, I'm looking to make an impact as well," Christie said. "So, I think, on paper, especially, we're a really, really good team, and now we just gotta put it into practice and go out and show everyone what we're capable of."
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Max Christie says Lakers were close to upsetting Nuggets in 2024 NBA playoffs
While projecting the Lakers' outlook for next season, Max Christie noted that his squad's five-game postseason loss to the second-seeded Nuggets was closer than it looked. Thus, he is seemingly eager to try and build off the early playoff exit.
"The five-game series was close, we were winning for basically the whole series," Christie said. "So, for us, we just gotta finish those games, but we're right there. ... We're so close, we might as well keep trying to build together."
Despite winning only one game against Denver, LA led the majority of the series. Three of its four defeats came by seven points or less, including two two-point losses on game-winning shots from Nuggets star point guard Jamal Murray.
Denver was ultimately upset by the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games in Round 2. So, it's unclear how the Lakers would have fared in the next round if they knocked off the then-defending champions. Nonetheless, the nature of their loss should motivate them heading into next season.
Also Read: "Being that guy that can take a load off" - Max Christie breaks down his new role under JJ Redick