Max Christie Injury Update - LA Lakers star's Summer League might be over

Max Christie’s plan to push for a spot in Darvin Ham’s rotation via the NBA’s Summer League could be over. After another scintillating display, this time against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, Christie could be forced to sit out due to injury.

Mike Trudell had an update about the sophomore guard:

“Injury update from Vegas: Max Christie sustained a right hip strain in Wednesday’s game, and will be listed as “day to day” moving forward.”

Max Christie played only one season at Michigan State. He averaged 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 35 games for the Spartans.

The LA Lakers’ move to get into the second round to draft him was initially greeted by criticism and ridicule. Christie shot only 31.7% of his 3-pointers.

GM Rob Pelinka insisted that they would have viewed Christie as a lottery pick had he played for another year in college. He saw action 41 times in his rookie season but rarely played meaningful minutes. The former Spartan vowed to show his development in the Summer League.

In five Summer League games, Christie has proven his worth. He is averaging 19.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists. The second-year guard is hitting 55% of his triples and 96.8% of his free throws.

Kevin O’Connor had this to say about Christie’s Summer League performances:

“It'll be tough for the Lakers to keep him out of the rotation. So much to like at only age 20.

"Christie's jumper was shaky in college then improved in the G League and he's even better now. Even if his jumper isn't falling he impacts the game with smart passes and good defense.”

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How will Darvin Ham use Max Christie in the rotation?

Darvin Ham will likely not give Max Christie the keys to run the offense. He will have to compete with established veterans for the shooting guard role.

How Ham manages to insert Christie into the rotation is anybody’s guess for now.

LeBron James is the de facto point guard, regardless of who is the nominal playmaker. When James orchestrates the plays, he will likely force Gabe Vincent and D’Angelo Russell to the two-guard, causing even more traffic in Christie’s natural position.

Max Christie, more than anything else, will be going up against Austin Reaves, who Darvin Ham has already projected to be an All-Star.

The sophomore might have had a much better chance of getting more minutes last season when Reaves was still developing. Next season will likely be an uphill battle for him.

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka stacked the lineup to cater to LeBron James’ desire to challenge for a championship. As a result, Max Christie may have to bide his time for a chance to show what he can do for the LA Lakers.

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