Two seasons of patiently waiting finally paid off for Max Christie. After all, he got what he had longed for–a spot in the LA Lakers’ starting lineup. Following LeBron James‘ impromptu break from the lineup earlier this month, Max became one of JJ Redick‘s trusted weapons. With this new role came several responsibilities and so far Christie has repaid the faith put on his young shoulders by his HC.

But his journey up until this point was a steep climb. He opened up about it in an exclusive interview with Johan Buha. One revelation led to another, and soon Max disclosed what he had learned from his teammate, Austin Reaves. So, was the latter an influence on the young shooting guard? That was a point even the Insider was curious to know.

Sitting down with Buha, Max talked about his improved free-throw game, something The Athletic journalist pointed out had really developed this season. Well, that didn’t happen on its own. Max shared, “I’ve also picked up a few tricks from Austin and a couple of guys.” On being pressed a little more, the 21-year-old confessed, “I mean, he hasn’t necessarily taught me that, but I’m watching. That’s where two years of sitting down and watching really helps.” However, it wasn’t just Reaves but a 6-time All-Star swingman and some others too from the league, who contributed to Max’s growth.

Recalling an instance from a game against the Pistons, Max said, “I remember in the Detroit game I had that and-1 where I swept through, and it was so natural to me and I didn’t think about doing it before. But the fact that I’ve seen Austin do it, DeMar (DeRozan) does it a lot, seeing guys like that do it all the time, and I pick up on it, so it helps.” The Illinois-born player didn’t hesitate to give credit where it’s due.

Max has obviously been focusing on improving his free-throw accuracy. It’s evident in his stats, with an 87.3% average this season, scoring 1.8 per game. That’s a clear jump from last season’s 78.3%, scoring less than one a game (0.5). A big slice of the credit goes to Reaves, of course. Without him unknowingly playing a role in polishing Max’s skills, regaining Redick’s trust would have been a huge task for the youngster.

Max Christie earning back JJ Redick’s faith

The franchise already had a solid starting four, and the fifth spot was open for Redick to experiment with, as the chemistry had to fit. What came as a gift to Max Christie last month was the opportunity to step into that role. He termed the experience as a “pretty cool” one. But it wasn’t all roses and sunshine.

Max has started in nine games, with his first start coming against the Pelicans last. And the other eight have been this month. He had a sloppy start to the season, with his shooting under 34% and decision-making not up to par, which ultimately led to him falling out of the rotation. Now, again he has worked his way back up and reclaimed his spot in the starting lineup, showing improvement in his shooting with 43.8% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc.

Max believes it’s his confidence and defensive mastery that’s working for him. “It’s the stacking of the games that’s really helping me out, I think, with my confidence especially, and we’re winning too,” he added.

With the Lakers adding Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the squad, how Redick manages and strategizes the roster will be intriguing to watch. What’s more intriguing will be whether Max can hold on to his role for a longer stretch this time.