Max Christie NBA Draft Profile

Max Christie is one of the top prospects in the upcoming NBA draft Standing at 6’7″, he has the size and length to be a versatile defender at the next level. He’s also a gifted offensive player with the ability to create his own shot and finish around the rim.

In this NBA Draft profile, we’ll take a look at Christie’s strengths and weaknesses, and what kind of impact he could have at the next level.

Introduction

Max Christie is an American college basketball player for the Baylor Bears of the Big 12 Conference. He played High School basketball for Rolling Meadows high school in Illinois, where he was a five-star recruit and the consensus top shooting guard in his class. As a freshman at Baylor, Christie averaged 11.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game helping the Bears to a 26-4 record and a No. 2 ranking in the AP Poll.

Christie entered his name into the 2020 NBA Draft after one year of college but did not hire an agent, which preserved his eligibility to return to Baylor for his sophomore season. He is currently projected to be a lottery pick if he declares for the 2021 NBA draft

Early Life and high school Career

Maximilian “Max” Aaron Christie was born on March 3, 1999, in Silver Spring, Maryland to parents Sharla and David Christie. He has two older sisters, Madison and Sydney. From an early age, Christie showed an interest and aptitude in basketball. His father, who played basketball himself in high school and college, coached Max in his early years and helped him develop his skills. Sharla Christie also played a role in her son’s development as a basketball player often taking him to her own games growing up.

Max Christie attended St. John’s high school in Washington, D.C. where he played on the varsity basketball team for four years. As a freshman, he averaged 9.5 points per game In his sophomore year, he improved to 16 points per game and was named to the All-Conference first team. As a junior, he averaged 19 points per game and was again named to the All-Conference first team. He was also named the Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year. In his senior year, he averaged 22 points per game and was once again named to the All-Conference first team as well as being named the Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year for the second time.

College Career

Max Christie, who had committed to Michigan State before the coaching change, opted to instead play for Tony Bennett at Virginia. He was originally part of the 2020 class but reclassified to 2019, making him eligible for the 2019 NBA draft In his lone college season, Christie averaged 9.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 24.8 minutes per game while shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range

Professional Career

Max Christie was a Professional Basketball player for the NBA. He was drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers He played for the Blazers for two seasons before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets He played for the Nets for one season before being released.

NBA Draft Profile

Max Christie is a 6-6 small forward from Rolling Meadows, Illinois who plays collegiately for Nova Southeastern He is considered one of the top prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft

Christie was a highly regarded recruit coming out of high school where he was a consensus top-100 player. He chose to play for Nova Southeastern, where he has excelled during his two years on campus. Christie has averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game during his college career.

Christie is considered a potential lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft He has good size for a small forward at 6-6 and has shown the ability to score from all three levels. Christie is an excellent shooter, knocking down 43 percent of his three-point attempts during his college career. He also has a High Basketball IQ and is considered a very good defender.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Max Christie was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school He averaged 18.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a freshman at Virginia, but his numbers took a dip as a sophomore, falling to 10.5 PPG and 3.3 RPG.

Strengths:
-Can score in bunches when he gets hot
-Good shooter from beyond the arc
-Above average athlete
-Has the potential to be a good defender

Weaknesses:
-Needs to be more consistent with his outside shot
-Can be streaky scoring the ball
-On the lighter side for an NBA wing at just 195 pounds

NBA Comparison

Max Christie is a 6’7” shooting guard from the University of Michigan He is a long, lanky player with a smooth shooting stroke. His NBA comparison would be Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors He has the potential to be a very good three-point shooter at the next level and has shown the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket.

Fit with the Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have been one of the worst Three-point shooting teams in the NBA for the last few seasons. They ranked 27th in three-point attempts per game this season and 28th in three-point percentage. They not only need shooters, but also guys who can create their own shot and Christie fits that description.

Christie is an elite level shooter, as he shot 45.8 percent from three-point range on 7.4 attempts per game this season. He is also a very good free throw shooter, as he shot 82 percent from the Charity Stripe this season. The one thing that Christie does not do well is shoot off the dribble, as he shot just 30 percent on pull-up threes this season.

However, Christie is still just 19 years old and has a lot of room to grow as a player. He has shown signs of improvement in this area and if he can continue to develop his game, he could be a very dangerous offensive weapon for years to come.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Max Christie is one of the most exciting prospects in the 2020 NBA draft He has a rare combination of size, athleticism, and shooting ability that makes him a very intriguing prospect. He is still very raw and will need to continue to develop his all-around game, but the potential is there for him to be a very good player in the NBA.

References

Max Christie NBA draft Profile – https://www.nbadraft.net/players/max-christie

More NBA draft prospects – https://www.nbadraft.net/prospects