One of my initial pieces included Josh Christopher on a short list of players to look at for the Lakers. I made a quick note about how I thought Josh’s path to success would give him more offensive freedom early on.
Sometimes, a player’s talent supersedes the mistakes they may go through early on. While I’m not particularly confident about a player changing their approach to the game regards to shot selection, this hasn’t stopped players from becoming good NBA players and eventual NBA champions.
Two players stand out as an example here, Kobe Bryant and J.R. Smith. Laker fans are well aware of Kobe’s otherworldly talent, but there is also incredible value in finding players that can play at the highest levels with supreme confidence. That was the path for J.R. Smith. This can absolutely be a path for Josh Christopher.
Photo by Patrick Breen - Arizona Republic
Josh really did a great job showing absolute confidence in his shot and athleticism in transition.
More importantly, he gained confidence in himself from that game, and carried it to the next game.
What I liked most about this scrimmage games is Josh carrying that confidence from the NCAA level to the combine setting, and looking absolutely comfortable attacking the basket, absorbing contact, running pick and roll situations, isolation situations, and catch and shoot situations. He is self-assured in his abilities, and that intangible will translate to the next level.
Here at the 0:28 mark, he runs a pick and roll situation and has a passing opportunity denied by Makur Maker on the hard hedge with the defensive pressure.
Two things happen at the 0:30 second mark are critical. Sam Hauser is trying to recover to an assignment while the backline of the defense is zoning an area for coverage. Makur Maker, at the same time, flips his hips defensively (0:31 mark), and that’s when Josh drives. This is a great read. Josh did a crossover on the defender’s top foot, and Josh finished with authority.
The post game interview said a lot about him and his game as well. I love how he mentions his father is a musician and having that creativity and swag is first nature to him. It shows in his game.
Also, I love how he played in this particular game.
He started the game absolutely cold. Usually good shooters never miss two free throws in a row, let alone three. After all, Josh is an 80% free throw shooter. He struggled in the first half with his shooting touch, but stayed aggressive in a tight game.
Sometimes players will show what they do best all throughout a game, even when they’re struggling in other areas. Josh was relentless attacking the basket in transition and kept the pressure on the rim.
When the second half came around, he kept shooting, and the shots finally started to fall. The confidence didn’t waver, and he was key to helping Arizona State stay competitive up until the very end.
He has NBA level ability with his ball-handling, shooting ability, and makes athletic plays defensively in terms of forcing turnovers and protecting the rim. The NBA season has a way of making guys find new ways to be effective even when things aren’t always clicking.
What the combine can test is general athletic measurements and player size, but it cannot measure how a player finds a way to be a positive contributor when things aren’t going their way.
This was a good test of that, and he passed with flying colors.
Teams may not love certain decision he makes on the floor or the kinds of shots he takes, but they will always love a player that is fighting to find a way. This is a quality that Laker fans may wish their role players have, when things aren’t going well. This, I hope, is an aspect I hope the Lakers organization looks into. It’s an intangible skill, and one that translates to the NBA floor.