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It looks as if simply yesterday that we had been following Josh Christopher round Lakewood, California—across the neighborhood and the highschool (Mayfair) the place he rose to prominence.
Again then, in 2019, Mayfair head coach Tony Davis said this about Christopher: “He’s positively very charismatic, and as a basketball participant he’s at all times had a degree of confidence that’s uncommon. I believe that’s one factor that helps separate him—he has an timeless perception of his talents and also you don’t see that in youngsters.”
He has an timeless perception in his talents. Spend any time round Christopher and that turns into apparent. The extraordinarily gifted guard additionally simply oozes confidence. It made Davis a believer. It made SLAM a believer. It made anybody listening to highschool hoops a believer.
At 6-3, with spectacular athleticism, versatility and playmaking expertise, Christopher turned a five-star recruit and top-12 prospect in his class. As he told SLAM in 2019, when he was on the duvet of the journal alongside fellow HS superstars Jalen Inexperienced and Sharife Cooper, he additionally possesses the starvation to be nice. “I believe folks don’t notice how a lot I really like basketball,” he stated. “I believe that they suppose I’m utilizing basketball as a technique to do different issues and never as a result of I like the sport. They don’t see—I put in a number of work. I put in an entire lot of labor.
“I watch basketball. I do know basketball. Basketball is my life.”
Christopher spent one season at Arizona State (he was the highest-rated commit in class historical past), averaging 14.3 factors, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per sport. The Rockets took him with the 24th total choose within the 2021 Draft, the place in addition they bought Inexperienced, Alperen Sengun and Usman Garuba. Christopher performed sparingly by way of the primary few months of the season, spending a while within the G League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, averaging 22 factors, 6.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists and a pair of.0 steals in three appearances.
In mid-December, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas began to provide him extra minutes, and Christopher began to indicate flashes of his potential: 18 factors on 7/7 from the sphere and 4/4 from three in a win over the Nets; 17 factors and 4 assists towards the Cavaliers; 14 factors and three steals towards the Lakers. His perimeter taking pictures has been up and down, however the Cali native has at all times been capable of finding methods to attain. He assaults the rim fearlessly, pulls up for little midrange jumpers within the paint and pushes it in transition. His shiftiness and handles make him a tricky cowl one-on-one. He likes to placed on a present (see here). And naturally, he isn’t shy.
He has an timeless perception in his talents.
Town of Houston is studying increasingly about these talents. Silas is trying towards the longer term and unleashing his rookies. Christopher is averaging 9.9 factors on 46 p.c taking pictures from the sphere up to now in March. He notched double figures in 4 straight outings, together with a 21-point efficiency (in simply 22 minutes) in an extra time victory over the Lakers final Wednesday. He additionally stuffed the stat sheet when the Rockets visited the Warmth on March 7: 16 factors, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and a steal.
We not too long ago spent an “off-day” with Christopher. What we realized is that he principally needs to be pressured to take them. “Actually, I’m so joyful to be a rookie and play basketball—after I’m simply within the crib bored, I wish to get within the gymnasium,” he advised us. “So our teaching workers threatened to take all of my footwear out of my locker final evening as a result of I stated I used to be coming again to the gymnasium. Days off are cool however I like being within the gymnasium. So days off—I’m joyful to have them, however I might do with out them, too.”
As he told USA Today in February, “I’m all about outcomes. You’ll be able to’t get outcomes if you’re not placing the work in. When your work pays off, it makes me wish to do extra, truthfully. I’m hooked on getting higher. I simply must preserve working.”
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