Rui Hachimura has accepted a move to the Lakers' bench after returning from a calf injury, embracing a team-first role as Los Angeles prioritizes defense in its starting lineup.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura has returned from a calf injury but has lost his spot in the starting lineup.
Rui Hachimura
Rui Hachimura
Rui Hachimura
MIN: 30.5
PTS: 12.15 (52.91%)
REB: 3.62
AS: 0.85
ST: 0.56
BL: 0.29
TO: 0.76
GM: 34
Head coach JJ Redick and the Lakers believe the team benefits from opening games with more defense-oriented players such as Jake LaRavia or Marcus Smart.
"A lot of people think about stats and all that, but for me it's like winning. That's gonna help us to everybody get paid," Hachimura told Dan Woike of The Athletic. "And especially with this second unit, I get more touches too. … I don't mind. It's more so like, who's finishing the game? Or who's playing more? For me, that's more important."
"I like my role here," he added. "The things that I like to do, I'm doing here. I just gotta embrace doing whatever it takes to win for the team ."
Redick said he's not ready to make a final decision on his starting five.
Credit AP - Scanpix
Saturday marked the first game Hachimura played without a minutes restriction since returning from his calf injury on Jan. 13.
According to The Athletic, his current seven-game stretch coming off the bench is his longest stint as a reserve since early in the 2023-24 season, before he secured a starting role.
Hachimura's situation is also influenced by his expiring $18.3 million contract.
This season, the Japanese forward is averaging 12.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 34 appearances, including 27 starts. Over four seasons with the Lakers, he has started 132 of 194 games.
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