Reportedly, LeBron James is glad to have the likes of Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, and Jarred Vanderbilt in the team who joined in February. The Lakers did not have a great start to this season. But they managed to hold on to their chances until the regular season ended. They came very close to making the top-six finish. But, finally, they settled for the 7th seed in the Western Conference.
Now as rules, the Lakers will have to overcome the challenge of the Play-in round in order to make the playoffs. For that, they will face the Timberwolves on Tuesday. The team, as well as the fans, are getting excited to know what the lineup will look like. As things have panned out in the last few matches, as usual, LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be in the starting lineup.
LeBron James Thinks Rui Hachimura Is A Great Competitor
But what about the players who made a big difference to the standings for the Purple and Gold? What role will they play? D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves have been spectacular, and they generally stay part of the starting lineup. However, it won’t be fair to forget the contributions of the Japanese player on the roster, Rui Hachimura. Rui generally comes off the bench but has displayed notable performances every time he has got a chance. In the last month, Ham has increased his time on the court to what he was getting in February. Last month Rui Hachimura got 22 minutes per game and scored 12 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.
Moreover, Rui’s brief but significant time on the court every game has not gone unnoticed. The team management and the fans are liking the Japanese talent. Even the Lakers superstar LeBron James was in all praise for Rui Hachimura while speaking to LA Times’s Broderick Turner. James mentioned, “Rui is a super competitor, and he always asks me how he can contribute more to the team. It is clear that he really wants to.” It is awe-inspiring how the young Japanese is giving his best in every game.
Rui Becoming An Integral Power Of The Lakers Gradually
Rui Hachimura has proved to be good at attack and defense as well in the last few games. He is really a complete package, and the Lakers are lucky to have him in their squad. Rui Hachimura can be a crucial asset for the Lakers in the future. When asked about his performance in the last few games, Hachimura mentioned, “I’m just working on my game and trying to get better all the time.” Even LeBron James pointed out that Rui and Austin Reaves complement each other very well.
The Lakers are certainly planning to give a bigger responsibility to Rui Hachimura in the postseason. The way the Japanese have been performing, it seems like he can do any job that Darvin Ham, the coach, asks him to do on the court. The Lakers had a season of ups and downs throughout the year. After all injuries and a lack of balance on the roster issues, the Lakers are still hanging in and look really good. If they make the playoffs, eventually, the Lakers may win the whole thing.