Something the Los Angeles Lakers have been searching for is a player who does the little things. That player is typically Jarred Vanderbilt, but he has yet to suit up this season so Rui Hachimura seems to be trying to fill that void.
Through the early parts of his career, Hachimura was mainly viewed as a offensive threat that likes his post-ups and mid-range jumpers. However, head coach JJ Redick had needed him to become a force on the glass and he has accepted the challenge.
Impressively, the 26-year-old is averaging 6.2 rebounds and is a player who gets those boards by crashing the offensive glass. One player that is taking notice of that is LeBron James, who shared high praise of their starting small forward, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“He’s been great. I just think, like you said, he’s been paying attention to detail. We know what we’re doing every single night and we rely on him. He’s a big piece of our puzzle and the biggest possession of the game was an offensive rebound against one of the best rebounding bigs in our league in Sabonis. That was super key and helped us win the game.”
Notably, Hachimura iced the game against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday by securing an offensive rebound for the Lakers after Anthony Davis missed two crucial free throws late in the fourth quarter. That moment encapsulated his progress as a rebounder as he has been utilizing that back tap to give the Lakers extra offensive possessions.
Unfortunately, the former Gonzaga Bulldog’s offensive game has been a bit up and down lately. But, it is great to see Hachimura doing other things when he is not scoring.
Obviously, he is still making strides in the rebounding department and still has his lapses. However, it is commendable to see one player try to step up and fill the void of Vanderbilt.
Rui Hachimura viewed as ‘longer-term piece’
It doesn’t come as a surprise, but this Lakers team likely needs to make moves if they want to truly contend in the Western Conference. Seeing how many one-way players are on the roster, general manager Rob Pelinka needs to bring in more two-way help, which head coach JJ Redick noted during the summer.
Unlike last season, L.A. has expiring contracts, which are extremely valuable under this new CBA. As trade season unofficially kicked off on Dec. 15 and rumors are flying around, one recent report stated that Rui Hachimura is viewed as a ‘longer-term piece’ for the organization and not someone they want to deal.
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