The preseason is all about the takeaways that can be learned which will help a team during the long haul of the regular season and the NBA Playoffs. For the Los Angeles Lakers, one that is quickly starting to show itself would be that Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura do not look like a good match.
In particular, the focus here falls on the defensive end of the basketball court. JJ Redick has shifted his schemes towards more drop coverage to benefit Ayton's role. That adjustment has quickly paid dividends for the Lakers center. It hasn't for Hachimura.
The Lakers forward was far more suited to the defensive scheme last season that involved plenty of switching. The early returns of his impact in the new coverages is just not being felt in a positive way.
Redick can work around this by switching up how the Lakers operate when Ayton sits. Jaxson Hayes offers more mobility at the center spot, which would allow the head coach a needed change of pace. For Hachimura, that could mean his best opportunity to be a difference-maker would come off the bench in 2025-26.
Rui Hachimura could become the odd man out in the Lakers’ new rotation
The issues surrounding the defensive tactics for the Lakers were brought up during a recent Q&A on Buha's Block. The Lakers reporter was asked about what style on that end fit the team best, sharing similar feelings on the matter in his response.
Buha said, "The shift to more drop coverage, to me, suits this group more, at least the starting group. Deandre Ayton is more of a drop big. ... This is the main reason why I think [Marcus] Smart, and now potentially Vando [Jarred Vanderbilt], ... rather start."
The host of Buha's Block thought Hachimura's strengths on the defensive end did not come in areas like getting around screens, sticking with your man, and having a certain level of awareness. The problem is the Lakers would need those aspects to be good when playing more drop coverage.
If Hachimura were to move back to the bench full-time, that would not be a demotion. There is no doubt the 27-year-old would still receive a bulk of minutes, whether it be as a starter or a sixth man.
There is a good chance Hachimura sticks in the starting lineup in the immediate future, due to the LeBron James injury that is expected to keep him out for three to four weeks. Once James eventually returns, the Lakers will have to make their judgment call on the sharpshooting forward.