Is the former Michigan State star on the verge of a breakout?

Christie’s youth was on full display in each of these first two NBA campaigns, and it was abundantly clear that he needed a lot of work.

But now the 21-year-old seems to be making significant progress.

On paper, Christie’s numbers aren’t great. He puts up 5.1 points in 17.1 minutes per game.

However, it may be on the verge of breaking out.

Christie has had some very solid performances this month, most recently scoring 8 points in 23 minutes in the Lakers’ loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

He previously scored 12 points, four rebounds, a few assists and a block in 22 minutes in the Lakers’ win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

Of particular note, Christie scored a plus-16 on the night, which is a huge positive sign and suggests he is making a significant impact defensively, which is huge.

After failing to score in double figures in any of his first 10 appearances this season, Christie has scored in double figures three times in his last eight games.

Obviously, Christie still has a long way to go, and again, he probably should have stayed in college for another year to really hone his skills. Had he done that, he certainly would have been a first-round pick in 2023 — and possibly even a lottery pick.

But what’s done is done, and now the Arlington Heights, Illinois native must try to learn on the job.

All in all, Christie is showing very positive progress and could be preparing to finally break out of his shell soon.

Los Angeles also needs to gain more confidence in him as they now give him consistent playing time.

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