JJ Redick head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers
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JJ Redick head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers
Head coach JJ Redick showed appreciation to role player Rui Hachimura for his impact being key to the Los Angeles Lakers’ success. Most of the credit for the Lakers’ recent great play has gone to the “big three” of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James. It makes sense that an MVP candidate, an all-time great legend still playing well in his 40s, and a new budding star receives the most attention.
However, Redick felt that Hachimura deserved more credit for the team’s success with him in the lineup. Another win over the Brooklyn Nets led to Redick saying the following:
“We are now 42-18 when Rui plays, which is a 57-58-win pace. That tells you all you need to know, his ability to space the floor, his size, it’s important for our team and our rotation.”
Hachimura’s impact on the team clearly shows with an incredible 42-18 record. Redick references that the team would be nearing 60 wins with the pace if he was healthy all season.
The Lakers have a lackluster 6-8 record in the 14 games that Hachimura missed due to injury. Redick has witnessed his team taking off over the past month with the roster finally getting healthier.
JJ Redick Making Good Use Of Lakers Roster
One huge reason for the Lakers’ success this season is Redick experimenting with rotations and finding the most ideal lineup construction. Hachimura actually benefited from moving to the bench. Jake LaRavia is currently starting over Hachimura, but Rui ends up playing more minutes.
Both the defense and the outside shooting of Hachimura make him a pivotal player for the Lakers come playoff time. Hachimura is shooting 51% from the field and 43% from three-point range to show he’s hitting the open shots that the three stars often get for him and other role players.
Names like Hachimura, LaRavia, Marcus Smart, and Luke Kennard must hit their open shots for the Lakers to contend against the other top Western Conference teams. Redick has been making the right decisions regarding playing time, and this will be necessary to advance in the postseason.
Will The Lakers Keep Rui LaRavia This Offseason?
The Lakers will be the top story in the offseason due to the contracts of James and Reaves expiring. Everyone expects the Lakers to sign Reaves to a max extension, but LeBron’s future is more up in the air. The team will want him to take a notable pay cut in favor of adding more depth around Doncic.
Hachimura will be an unrestricted free agent and is hoping for a strong contract offer from the Lakers. Given their desire to improve the depth, most forecasted Rui being an odd man out earlier in the season during the team’s mid-season struggles.
However, Redick’s comment shows that he sees the value of Hachimura and could push the team to bring him back. The Lakers want players who defend and shoot three-pointers to construct the perfect Luka team. Hachimura currently excels at that better than any other Laker and has the coach’s faith to warrant a contract extension.