Michigan State Basketball: Departure of Max Christie leaves hole at wing
With freshman Max Christie staying in the NBA Draft, what will Michigan State Basketball do to replace him and his production?
For many five-star prospects out of high school, the plan is to get to the NBA as soon as possible, playing in college basketball for only a year before leaving. This offseason, it was expected for guys like Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and Jabari Smith to leave. However, for someone like Max Christie, the decision was more difficult to make.
The 6’6 guard had an up and down freshman campaign this past season. Christie started all 35 games at over 30 mpg and got plenty of usage for the Spartans. He had a big performance in the first week of the season, scoring 18 points in a road win at Butler. But consistency and efficiency were the issues for Christie, scoring double figures in just 13 of 35 games and shooting 38% from the field and 32% from three-point range.
Christie may not have been a great scorer (9.3 ppg) as a freshman but he still has great potential as a two-way player. Had he come back and with leading scorer Gabe Brown gone, the guard had the chance to be the focal point of Michigan State’s offense next season. However, after venturing into the draft process, Christie made the decision to leave college for good.
Michigan State freshman G Max Christie will stay in the 2022 NBA Draft and hire an agent, sources tell ESPN. Christie, an All-Big 10 freshman team selection, is participating at the Chicago Pre-Draft Combine this week.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 16, 2022
Christie’s departure now leaves the Spartans with three available spots left and not a lot of great options in the portal among the realistic options. The program was reportedly involved with Oakland transfer Micah Parrish but he recently picked San Diego State, taking him off the board. Overall, Coach Tom Izzo and staff haven’t been very active overall in the portal, despite having a need for a center and now a wing.
Look at the in-house options. Michigan State can have AJ Hoggard start at the two-spot alongside Tyson Walker for a multi-point guard offense. Four-star incoming combo guard Tre Holloman can get the backup minutes as the 3rd ball-handler on the offense. And at wing, Jaden Akins has breakout potential, while Pierre Brooks has the size at 6’6 to play that position. Whether they can be a double-digit producer remains to be seen but there is talent on the bench, although the team certainly will have to add another wing to feel more comfortable.
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It feels weird to think that a player that averaged just 9.3 ppg last leaving is a “big blow” but Michigan State Basketball doesn’t have a go-to scorer on its roster right now and that will be problematic for the 2022-23 campaign. Christie, despite his ups and downs as a freshman, had the potential to be that guy for them. Now, the Spartans are gonna have to look elsewhere, with not many great options left.