This year, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a lot of injuries. Jarred Vanderbilt was the most recent player to miss a lot of time with a right foot injury. L.A. is focused on the next player up, which means Max Christie should play more important minutes.

Christie showed the 3-and-D skills that the Lakers were looking for in the last two games of the Grammy road trip. The player from Michigan State scored 12 points and blocked three shots. He gave Vanderbilt energy and movement on defence, which they provided.

Christie is only 20 years old, but his stock will go up if he keeps doing well in these minutes. With the trade deadline coming up, Christie was linked to Kyrie Irving again, just like he was last year. People who play sports find it hard to hear their names linked to possible trades, but he said he blocks out trade rumours.

Christie said of the rumours, “Yeah, that’s not my business.” “Just show up and act like a pro. I’ve said that a lot this year.” That’s everything I can do. Do the right thing, show up on time, and work as hard as you can. I already said that I couldn’t stop the trade rumours, so there’s no point in thinking about them. That means I just have to show up and be the best version of myself for this team, or if I end up on another team, then for that team. The Lakers are in town right now, so all I have to do is be my best self and try to be the best player I can be.

Christie has been a worker for not even two full seasons in the NBA. That’s a sign of growth. Christie will keep getting more playing time if or when Vanderbilt comes back. He feels like the game is slowing down for him.

“For sure, it’s slowed down a lot. He said, “I think I’ve gotten a lot of consistent minutes over the last month or two. It’s nice to know that you’re going to be in the game and see what you can attack on offence and defence.”

“It has slowed down a bit, but being able to play consistently and having players like LeBron and AD make it a lot easier for you as a role player is great.” It’s hard for them to score, so I’m just going to make easy plays with the ball and when I don’t have it, cutting and being active. For sure, it’s slowed down for me.

Christie was sure to play more rotational minutes after a great summer, and this current stretch has been good for his growth.

There’s always someone trying to find a rock in the rough for the Lakers, and Christie looks like they’ve found another one. Getting out on the floor is the only way to learn and grow, and he seems to love the chance.