An unsung hero for the Los Angeles Lakers so far this season has been Rui Hachimura, who has been a steady source of offense while holding his own defensively.
To Hachimura’s credit, his shot attempts have fluctuated depending on who is in the lineup. If Luka Doncic and/or Austin Reaves are on the floor, they are taking a majority of the team’s shots.
But the starting forward stays shot-ready as a 3-point shooter and he is shooting an impressive 47.2% from distance on four attempts per game. After the team’s most recent win to improve to 7-2 on the season, Doncic showed love to Hachimura for his play so far.
“He told me I didn’t pass him the ball today. So, I got to do that more, I see,” Doncic joked. “No, jokes aside, I think he’s been amazing. Just staying ready in the moment. And he’s a great guy, too. That kind of people you want to have on your team. The start he’s having, it’s very underrated and we need him to keep going.”
In Wednesday’s win against the San Antonio Spurs, three players had more shot attempts than the former Gonzaga Bulldog. So Hachimura was not a focal point of the Lakers’ offense, but he made a crucial 3-pointer late to pull L.A. to within two points in the fourth quarter.
That’s in addition to making two clutch free throws and even guarding Victor Wembanyama in crunch time. Being in the final year of his contract, if Hachimura can sustain double-figure scoring, along with a 40% shooting percentage from downtown, it will be hard to replace his production.
Obviously, he has flaws defensively and rebounding, but Hachimura’s offensive production continues to improve every year. Role players are vital for championship teams and frankly, Hachimura is making himself a key piece of this team’s future if he can keep this up.
JJ Redick believes Rui Hachimura made ‘two biggest plays’ against Spurs
The beginning of this season has not gone to plan for the Lakers with several key players missing time due to injuries. But despite all of that, the Lakers have found a couple of different ways to win.
Against the Spurs, L.A.’s four-game winning streak was genuinely at stake, but an impressive two-way performance in the fourth quarter pushed it to five straight. From head coach JJ Redick’s perspective, Rui Hachimura made the two biggest plays against San Antonio and he also credited the forward for his play this season.
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