Mavericks desperately need slept-on starter to rise to unleash Cooper Flagg era

When the Dallas Mavericks traded away Luka Doncic on February 1, it not only came on such short notice, but the return from the Los Angeles Lakers for one of the league's best players was underwhelming to say the least. Not only did the Mavericks receive only one future first-round pick for the Slovenian superstar, but Anthony Davis and Max Christie were the only two players Dallas received in return, as they sent Los Angeles Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris.

While Dallas' return package for Doncic was bleak, both Davis and Christie instantly made an impact for the Mavericks, and in particular, Christie quickly became a rotational guard and a household name despite fans' doubts. From the jump, Christie emerged as a defensive-studded guard with three-level scoring on the offensive end; however, his production would drop back to normal only after a few games in a Mavericks uniform. His high-scoring masterpieces over his first couple of games for Dallas went from the norm to a flash in the pan, and he cooled off quickly.

Although Christie's season ended on a bad note, as currently constructed, the Mavericks will presumably start Klay Thompson and D'Angelo Russell as the team's starting backcourt. This could not only prove to be a disaster on the defensive end, but also make Christie a potential starting candidate to not only jumpstart the Cooper Flagg era with a guard who aligns with the 18-year-old's timeline, but also for defensive purposes.

Max Christie must prove he belongs in Mavericks' starting lineup

Whether or not fans like it, the Mavericks need Christie to emerge as a building block for Dallas' future. While the 22-year-old flashed the ability to make shots at all three levels reliably and be a potential future guard alongside Flagg in his first seven games, Christie is gonna need to do this over an 82-game period this coming season and prove he permanently belongs in the normal rotation.

The Mavericks, unfortunately, lack future assets outside of Christie and Dereck Lively II in addition to a handful of future first-round picks, which puts even more pressure on Christie to succeed this season. There's no doubt that there is serious hype surrounding Ryan Nembhard, but the reality of his situation is that he is on a two-way contract, and there is more going against him than is in his favor to see the floor in his rookie season.

With this in mind, Christie will have all the pressure to emerge as Dallas' fifth starter or at least as a reliable young two guard off the bench. Not only would Christie's emergence as a starter be a huge way to boost the Flagg era ahead, but Christie would be the perfect candidate to be a starting shooting guard in any system.

A high defensive motor two guard doesn't come around every day, and adding the fact that he could potentially be a reliable three-level scorer or at least a deadly 3-point shooter with the ability to score off the dribble, would instantly raise Dallas' ceiling.

While the hope is that Christie can emerge as a wing to potentially have as the Mavericks branch off to build around Flagg and his future in a few seasons, the team must see him taking strides in his game now for that to be achievable. Christie possesses all the tools to be a reliable young guard in the Mavericks' rotation in the future, but it starts with staying consistent and making a splash off the bench to establish his role early in the 2025-26 season.

As currently constructed, Christie could potentially be an odd man out in Jason Kidd's rotation, but with plenty of names being viable for real NBA minutes, Kidd may be forced to expand his rotation, and it starts with Christie.