Nailing down lineups and rotations for the Los Angeles Lakers has been a point of contention this season and one of the players that has fallen victim to that is Rui Hachimura.
After being in and out of the lineup due to injuries, Hachimura struggled to find a consistent role and minutes with the Lakers early in the season.
Hachimura’s role is now beginning to come into focus though due to the injuries of Jarred Vanderbilt, Cam Reddish and Max Christie. When playing in rhythm and confidence, the 26-year-old fits perfectly with the starting lineup.
Continuity was the theme of the offseason and it is paying dividends right now. Hachimura credits chemistry with the starters as a reason for the recent resurgence of the Lakers’ offense.
“I think as you guys can see, it’s smooth. We already have a chemistry, I’ve been telling you guys about it since the playoffs last year,” Hachimura said. “This lineup is very good for us. Of course Vando is out right now but if Vando comes back, we can defend, offensively we’re fine, of course. I think we’re one of the best teams so we just got to keep building the chemistry to make the playoffs.”
With a crucial finish to the regular season looming after the All-Star break, the former lottery pick stresses the importance of playing together to keep the good times rolling.
“We just got to keep playing together,” he said. “I think our defense has been good, we get a lot of stops… We just got to play together going into the All-Star break.”
An area Hachimura has succeeded in is getting out in transition as with all the starters being willing and able passers, he can get some easy buckets. He credits his teammates for putting him in scoring positions.
“I’m playing with LeBron and AD more, DLo, AR, everybody. They make my shots easy. It’s all easy layups, 3s, midrange, whatever,” Hachimura said. “Like I just said in the beginning, we already have a chemistry. We know how to play with each other so we just got to keep building to get ready for the playoffs.”
It is good to see the forward finding some consistency on the floor, whether that is due to a clearly defined role or simply playing into a rhythm. Now with Spencer Dinwiddie entering the fold, that adds to the multitude of playmakers that will be able to get Hachimura going offensively.
LeBron James & Anthony Davis discuss benefits of Rui Hachimura in Lakers’ starting lineup
Finding a consistent lineup around LeBron James and Anthony Davis has taken longer than anticipated. However, now with Hachimura fitting that missing puzzle piece, the two stars shared the benefits of having him in the starting lineup.
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