INGLEWOOD — The Clippers have lost four games in a row, dropping them further below the .500 mark after just nine games. At 3-6, the immediate future doesn’t look promising, even bleak.
Not lost in the Clippers’ current muddle of defensive breakdowns and missed offensive opportunities is the play of second-year guard Cam Christie.
Christie, 20, has brought a spark to the Clippers’ at-times lethargic lineup with his enthusiasm, showing potential as a solid bench player. In six games this season, he has averaged 6.5 points and 1.8 rebounds over 11.8 minutes a game. Over the past two games, Christie has logged 43 minutes, including 18 in the Clippers’ 114-103 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.
He played 25 minutes two nights earlier against the Suns.
“It was great,” he said before Saturday’s game. “That was my first time ever playing extended minutes in an actual NBA game, not preseason, not end of game stuff like that. It was great. I had a lot of fun.”
Christie’s youthful exuberance is something the Clippers need when their play slows and altogether stalls out. He entered Saturday’s game at the 6:05 mark in the first quarter and immediately made an impact with a cutting layup and a rebound in less than a minute.
Christie finished with eight points, three rebounds and one blocked shot, following an even more impressive stat line with 17 points, two rebounds, three assists and one steal against the Suns on Thursday.
“I feel like I did a good job,” Christie said. “The coaches did a good job of preparing me and giving me the confidence to go out there and do what I do. So, it was great.”
Coach Tyronn Lue said he appreciates the way Christie can get out early in transition, get downhill and take open shots, attributing it to his “pop energy.”
“He’s been good for us and so he’s going to make some mistakes,” Lue said. “We got to just let him keep learning and growing but overall think he’s doing a good job.”
Christie isn’t sure when he might get another chance to showcase his game on a team laden with veterans and proven experience. So, he waits.
“It’s a very fluid game,” he said. “You never know who’s going to play well, who might need to take a break, who’s going to be hurt, who’s being on a minutes restriction, who’s sick, you never know.
“So, Ty can’t guarantee that I’m going to play 20 minutes. He can’t guarantee that I’m going to play for five minutes. You can’t guarantee me I’m going to play it all. I don’t expect him to, but I think it’s just up to me to get more.”
But Christie knows enough to stay ready just in case because he knows that the spotlight could dim at any moment. He has learned from his older brother, Max, who was traded to the Dallas Mavericks after three significant seasons with the Lakers.
“I’m not getting too high on (the increased minutes),” Christie said. “I’m going out there knowing that I have to go and prove it, game in and game out, and just continue to take that next step.”