JJ Redick recently made the decision to add third-year guard Max Christie to the Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineup as a defensive stopper, and the results have been solid so far. Despite facing players like Ja Morant, De’Aaron Fox and Cade Cunningham, Christie held his own and made things difficult for these All-Star talents.

This is Christie’s first real opportunity with a significant starting role at this level, and the increase in minutes and responsibility may be difficult for some to adjust to. But Christie has established a routine of taking care of his body, and that’s serving him well, especially with an upcoming Christmas match against Stephen Curry.

“Since I’ve been playing in the league for the last two and a half years, I’ve built a routine,” Christie said after the Lakers’ loss to the Detroit Pistons. “It’s changed a little bit, but overall it’s just about rest and taking care of my body, that’s the biggest thing. Like you said, I had a big job with Cade tonight, he’s a better guard, I expended a lot of energy. And then I got Steph Curry for Christmas. So it’s a big challenge that I’m happy to take on and I just have to prepare at an elite level and I think I usually do that on a regular basis in all these games.

“So for me, I just have to stick to my routine of taking care of my body, drinking lots of fluids, eating right and getting enough sleep, doing all the little things because it’s going to add up and I think , hopefully this will stand me in good stead this Christmas I’m guarding a top 10 player of all time. That’s why I’m happy about the opportunity, which doesn’t come along often. So I’m looking forward to it.”

Sometimes young players lose sight of how important it is to take care of your body off the court, but Christie has already nailed that part down, allowing him to thrive in his new role for the Lakers. His 17 points against the Pistons were a season high, but he is still more focused on his defensive performance.

“I feel really good. “Tonight was a good offensive game for me, that feels great, but I wouldn’t say that’s how I measure my success,” Christie added. “That applies more to the defense and I thought I did a good job tonight. My main opponent was Cade Cunningham, he is an elite player at an All-Star level. In the end he still had 20, 10 and 5, but I thought I did a good job just making it difficult for him. He’s a great player, he’s going to hit hard shots. But overall I think I’m in pretty good shape right now.”

Going into the season, there was a lot of optimism that Christie would become an important part of this Lakers rotation. After a rough start to the year, it looks like he’s finally coming into his own and becoming the ideal 3-and-D winger the team needs.

Max Christie wants to continue to grow after becoming a Lakers starter

Max Christie has gone from a rookie who never saw the court to a fully-fledged starter in his third season with the Lakers. But the wing is not satisfied and wants to continue its growth.

“To be honest, it feels good and it’s pretty cool to see the progress and growth just in me over the last three years,” Christie said. “I think I’ve slowly gotten a little better because I’ve been put in more intense and important situations, and I think those are good experiences for me, guarding a dynamic player like Ja at the end of the game. “I think it’s cool for me to just reflect on the development that I have experienced. I want to keep that.”

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