When it comes to role players, Rui Hachimura is one of the most crucial to the success of the Los Angeles Lakers. Hachimura has been the team’s most consistent 3-point shooter, on pace to knock down over 40% from deep for the third consecutive season, and his move to a reserve role has helped give the Lakers’ bench a much needed scoring boost.
Of course, the bigger question surrounding the Lakers as a whole is whether this team can compete with the NBA’s elite. At times, the Lakers have looked like a team not far away, but more often than not they have come up short against the top teams and been blown out in many games.
There is belief inside the Lakers’ locker room, however, and Hachimura feels that when the Lakers are clicking they do look like a championship team, but they have to figure out how to play at that level consistently.
“I think when we play good, like really good, we look like a championship team,” Hachimura said after the Lakers’ victory over the Sacramento Kings. “But we have a lot of times that we’re not, and we look like we’re just literally out of the playoffs team.
“We have to focus. It’s a long season, you know, it’s a long season, like you said. We’ve had a lot of injured guys in and out so we have a different rotation, different starting lineup. I think we have to focus on that part. We have to play together, play hard and that’s gonna be really good for us, staying consistent and we can look like a championship team all the time.”
Consistency is the difference between a good team and a real championship contender. Any team can look great on any given night, but the best teams bring that level of intensity every night and the Lakers just haven’t been able to do that.
The Lakers have looked great in their last two games, but it has come against inferior opposition. The real test will come when they see a team that they might meet in the playoffs and if Hachimura and the rest of the Lakers can’t step up in those games, they will continue to face those questions and likely wind up with a short playoff run.
Luka Doncic, JJ Redick exchange words on bench during Lakers win vs. Warriors
Even though the Lakers dominated the Golden State Warriors on the first night of a back-to-back, superstar Luka Doncic and head coach JJ Redick appeared to have a brief, but intense exchange on the bench during the contest.
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