Max Christie dropped 12.3 points per game last season for the Dallas Mavericks, putting together arguably the best year of his young career. And get this: he did it shooting a scorching 40.4% from beyond the arc on a career-high 5.8 attempts per game. That isn’t just a solid season, folks, that’s a serious foundation for something much bigger, and with the 2026-2027 regular season less than a month away, the Mavs are about to find out exactly how much bigger.
Christie’s 2025-26 Season Was More Than Just Solid
Seriously, rewind for a second. While the Mavericks were navigating a sideways tank to a 26-win season, dealing with year-two Cooper Flagg hype, Kyrie Irving’s return, and waiting on Dereck Lively, Christie was just quietly putting in work. He played in 77 games, starting 68 of them, and became the last man standing from the Luka Doncic trade. He shot 50.2% on two-point attempts and that incredible 40.4% from three, which was his second-best clip ever. What’s even more impressive is that he wasn’t shy about it, taking 5.8 attempts from deep per game. That’s a full shot higher than his previous career high, showing a real willingness to get them up. The dude is only 23, not even hitting 24 until February. He’s barely scratching his prime, but he’s already shown a consistent, strong improvement.
Can He Really Be Dallas’s Go-To Sniper?
So, the big question for Christie right now is simple: can he take that next, crucial step? Coming off what was arguably his best season, this year is massive in determining if he can truly make a leap in productivity. The best-case scenario for Christie isn’t just about scoring more, it’s about him outright replacing Klay Thompson in terms of *role* for the Mavs. Now, nobody’s saying he’s going to suddenly become one of the greatest shooters of all time this season. But the hope is he becomes the team’s undisputed No. 1 3-point threat, creating his own gravitational pull that opposing defenses *have* to account for.
To pull that off, he’s got a few boxes to tick: he’ll need to see a few more minutes per game, bumping up from last season’s 29.1; he has to consistently keep that 40% or more accuracy from deep; and he needs to be launching at least six 3-pointers per game. The crazy part? He was already right there on all those stats last season. If he can just maintain that accuracy while tacking on one or two more attempts per game, the Mavericks offense is going to get a serious boost.
The flip side, of course, is that he doesn’t quite click with the coaching overhaul the Mavericks have gone through, and he just gets the same minutes and opportunities he had last year without breaking out. But with the kind of foundation he laid, and with the season about to kick off, you’ve got to be hyped to see if he can deliver on that promise. Keep an eye on Christie as the season approaches, because if he takes that next leap, Dallas fans are in for a treat.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mavs Moneyball.
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