SAN ANTONIO — Max Christie made an impressive start to his Dallas Mavericks career. While Mavs fans were still coming to terms with losing Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, Christie’s strong play provided a sense of optimism for the future. However, with Anthony Davis limited to just over three quarters of play due to injury since joining the Mavericks, Christie’s early success was one of the few bright spots in the February trade. Recently, though, his performance has dipped.
“I think he’s getting great looks. As a scorer, as a shooter, they either go in or they don’t, and right now, they’re just not going in for him,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said of Christie’s recent struggles following Dallas’ 126-116 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. “He’s getting, again, great looks. We need him to continue to keep taking those looks. And then on the defensive end… he’s competing at a high level. It’s just those looks that he was getting earlier were going in. Right now, they’re just not.”
So how does Christie feel about his recent performance? The Mavericks guard spoke exclusively with ClutchPoints after the game, sharing his thoughts on handling adversity, the advice he’s received from Anthony Davis, his impressions of Dallas, and more.
Without further ado, here’s ClutchPoints’ exclusive interview with Max Christie.
(This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.)
Max Christie on Handling Adversity
Joey Mistretta: Starting off… You’ve had over a month now with the Mavericks. How has the transition to your new team been?
Max Christie: I mean, it’s been relatively smooth for the most part. I think I’m gelling with the guys a lot… I think everything has been pretty smooth overall. I’m starting to settle down in Dallas as well, so I really can’t complain so far.
Mistretta: When you first joined the team, you were on fire. Lately, though, Coach mentioned you’re still getting good looks, but they’re just not falling. Do you feel the same way?
Christie: Yeah, it’s just some adversity for sure… Mentally, there’s a lot going on, which is to be expected with the move. I’m just trying to take it one step at a time and do whatever I can to help this team win. I don’t want to put my own struggles ahead of what’s best for the team. The team is more important than me, obviously. So yeah, I’m getting good looks—they’re just not going in right now. I just have to keep working and knock them down.
