Plenty of Los Angeles Lakers fans are hopeful and even excited for Max Christie, the team's third-year wing. While he didn't get much playing time in his first two NBA seasons, he showed that he has some potential to become a 3-and-D player.

The team appears to have big plans for him this season, and the first glimpse of those plans came in its 2024 preseason debut on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis sitting out, Christie was in the starting lineup, and he had 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and one steal in 34 minutes.

Afterward, Austin Reaves praised him by saying he was "phenomenal defensively" and showed some good physicality on that end of the floor.

Other than superstar big man Anthony Davis, the Lakers don't have any true two-way players on their roster. If Christie develops into one, it would greatly help their chances of improving as a team, as perimeter defense was one of their biggest weaknesses last season.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Austin Reaves: Max Christie was 'phenomenal defensively' for the Lakers