Last June, the Los Angeles Lakers took an intriguing young wing named Max Christie with the No. 35 pick in the 2022 NBA draft.
In one season of college ball at Michigan State University, Christie had shown defensive potential, but his shooting efficiency was terrible. His inability to hit from the outside continued during summer league play, and it looked like he would be a project player for the next few years.
However, he started to get some playing time during the regular season, and not just in garbage time. When he got onto the court, he surprised people in a positive way.