Max Christie's slow start has reopened the Mavericks' shooting guard debate

Through three games, Dallas Mavericks starting shooting guard Max Christie is averaging 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 3-pointers per game, without any free-throw attempts and with only two steals in 30.7 minutes per contest. Needless to say, Christie isn't off to the best start to his fifth professional campaign.

Thus, after an offseason of uncertainty largely centered around who would start at shooting guard between the aforementioned Christie and new addition Zaccharie Risacher, the question is once again at the forefront, even after Christie was named the opening-night starter.

Typically, starting all three regular-season games and ranking second on the team in minutes played is a good sign of things to come. And while that might be true, it doesn't guarantee Christie is Dallas' starting shooting guard, even for the remainder of this season, let alone the future, with Risacher essentially breathing down his neck.

Max Christie hasn't put the shooting guard debate to rest

First things first, Risacher hasn't exactly made his presence felt. He's averaged 8.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 30.3 minutes per game while shooting just 38.5 percent from the field and 18.2 percent from beyond the arc. Not necessarily eye-popping numbers.

But these numbers don't tell the whole story. Risacher is averaging 1.7 blocks and 2.3 steals per game compared to Christie's 0.7 and 0.7. However, most glaringly, the Mavericks are a staggering 31.4 points per 100 possessions better with Risacher on the floor. By contrast, Dallas is 38.6 points per 100 possessions worse with Christie on the court.

Okay, on/off splits aren't always representative of just how impactful a player truly is. For instance, Sergio de Larrea has been awesome thus far, yet Dallas is 33.5 points per 100 possessions worse with the 20-year-old on the floor.

Nonetheless, these numbers still hold some weight, and Risacher's net swing is quite impressive. As much as Risacher still needs to slow his game down, continue learning the nuances, and smooth out his rough edges, his all-around game hints at considerably more long-term potential than Christie's.

Zaccharie Risacher offers the Mavericks much more than shooting

As we witnessed last season, and have once again come to realize through the first few games, Christie is valuable if, and only if, he's hitting shots. This alone limits his potential. The 23-year-old doesn't offer Dallas much beyond his floor-spacing ability. Sure, shooting is of the essence on an otherwise poor-shooting Mavericks team, but his two-guard competitor, Risacher, offers much more.

Risacher rebounds very well; his energy is off the charts, and he can match up across three positions defensively. He's also demonstrated a solid all-around offensive game in the past, with a reliable catch-and-shoot three and the ability to push the pace and finish in transition.

While Risacher himself hasn't yet done enough to seize control of the starting two-guard spot, Christie's slow start has certainly made us stop and think. The former second-round pick already earned the starting job, but not even a week into the regular season, the question is back at the forefront. Should Risacher be the starting two-guard moving forward?

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