Lakers' Darvin Ham Must Rethink Cam Reddish-Max Christie Lineup Decision
The Los Angeles Lakers have wobbled out of the gate to start the 2023-24 NBA season.
Their first three contests have yielded a pair of losses and a five-point win over a Phoenix Suns team missing two-thirds of its Big Three. L.A. has encountered issues at both ends, though its 19th-ranked offense, per NBA.com, should be the early focus for the coaching staff.
If it is, the Lakers could chase better shooting and more consistent scoring by having coach Darvin Ham rethink his decision to use Cam Reddish over Max Christie in the early-season rotation.
"Just his size," Ham told reporters of the decision. "Max is a part of us, he's gonna be a part of us for a long time to come. Still a young player, developing. Cam having had more games under his belt, his size, athleticism, they're both phenomenal basketball players but just wanted to get a look at what Cam can do at the outset of things."
Reddish might be a more established player, but you could argue—and we will—that's actually one of several points on Christie's side of this debate.
Reddish's Track Record Isn't Great
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The fact Reddish has 176 games under his belt only actually matters if that exposure helped establish him as a reliable contributor.
Truth be told, his NBA experience creates more questions than answers about him, as he's yet to really tap into the potential that once made him the No. 10 pick of the 2019 draft. His physical tools are still technically present, but there's a reason he's now on his fourth team in five seasons.
His career shooting rates are entirely underwhelming from the field (39.9) and from three (32.1). He has tallied more turnovers (235) than assists (227). Three of his first four seasons produced negative box plus/minus numbers, and the other was barely in the green (plus-0.1).
For someone who was supposed to be a three-and-D wing with handles, none of that projection has translated, and at this point, it's tough to tell what could convince Ham that such a breakout is coming.
Christie Has Breakout Potential
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Prior to this season, Christie had emerged as a popular breakout pick. B/R's Grant Hughes even wrote that if everything broke right for the second-year swingman, "fringe consideration for Most Improved Player could be in order."
Expectations were (relatively) enormous, and they should've been. He looked like he didn't belong in the Las Vegas summer league for a good reason, routinely running circles around his competition there. In three games, he averaged 19 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 50 percent overall and 45.7 percent from distance.
As good as the numbers looked, the eye test might've been better. He was confident in his offensive approach and clearly more capable on defense thanks to some added muscle. Sure, it was summer league, but nothing he did there seemed impossible to replicate during the regular season.
He needs an opportunity to make good on that potential, though, and it's time for the Lakers to task him with more than mop-up duty.
Lakers Have a Greater Need for Christie's Strengths
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When the Lakers are at their best, their shooters are hitting shots and stretching defenses too thin to contain both LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
That's clearly not been the case so far. L.A. has connected on a miserable 29.1 percent of its perimeter looks, the fifth-worst rate and a number that only tops lottery teams from last season.
Who's more likely to help the Lakers find their way out of this funk: Reddish, a career 32.1 percent shooter off to a 1-of-6 start; or Christie, who didn't play enough (512 minutes over 41 games) to establish a rhythm as a rookie and still splashed 41.9 percent of his long-range looks?
The answer seems obvious, and it's time for Ham to realize that.
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