Max Christie’s defense will be key to keeping his starting job for the Mavericks

Max Christie finds himself in an interesting position going into the 2026-27 season.

After playing in more games than any other Maverick last year and starting 70 of 77, Christie could find himself in an even bigger role this season. At the same time, with the addition of Zaccharie Risacher, his position as the starting shooting guard is under more threat than it ever was last year. Christie will need to show early on that he's made improvements defensively, or else he could find himself coming off the bench.

Max Christie's defensive regression last season was hard to ignore

During Christie's first full season with the Mavericks last season, he took on a larger role on a team in transition and noticeably regressed defensively. This past season, his defensive rating landed at 115.2, 18th among players who played for the Mavericks. That's up from 114.3 in 2024-25 (the lower the better for defensive rating).

Christie's total steals, blocks, and rebounds also fell, while his minutes rose. He posted the worst plus-minus on the squad at -339, 62 points behind the next-closest Maverick, P.J. Washington. He was also 73 points behind Cooper Flagg, the only Maverick to play more minutes than Christie last year.

Christie was on the court a lot for a Mavericks team that didn't play all that well collectively, which does play into his poor numbers. He played in more games than any other Maverick, logged 2,244 total minutes (only 100 behind Flagg), and was third in points while being top five in 3-point percentage, free-throw percentage, total points, assists, and steals.

Offensively, his ability is hard to deny, but he unfortunately dropped the ball on defense and had the worst defensive rating of any starter and one of the worst on the entire team.

Christie knows he needs to improve defensively

During the Mavericks' Media Day, Christie was asked candidly why he should be the starting two-guard this season. Christie said he can be a "Swiss Army Knife" for the team and emphasized how he can help the team defensively. He later stated that he wants to be the "point-of-attack defender." Someone who pesters the opposition up and down the court and defends well on the perimeter.

He conceded that last year he "took a step back" defensively when asked what he looks to improve on this season. Christie enters the 2026-27 season with much speculation about his role with the team. Offensively, it’s hard to argue that he doesn't deserve to be out on the court due to his shooting, but as the Mavericks look to improve defensively, a bench role for Christie may be looming.

Zaccharie Risacher will push Christie to be better

While Christie will likely focus on himself and what he can improve personally, it's hard for fans not to speculate about Zaccharie Risacher's role with the Mavericks this year. Some believe that he's special and can be a real X factor for this new era of Mavericks basketball, and he’ll look to prove it in practice and on the court. At the very least, Risacher has the defensive ability that will constantly keep Mavericks coaches thinking, and any defensive mistakes by Christie could be amplified.

Christie has a fierce battle ahead to keep his starting role, but it seems he’s aware of what he needs to do to improve and is actively working towards those goals. It’ll be easy to root for both players, and Mavericks fans should be excited about both players pushing each other to get better.

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