The Lakers face a major concern over Rui Hachimura's health as they enter the final regular-season stretch before playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers have hit a late-season bump by losing three games in a row. Despite being back at full strength with LeBron James and Rui Hachimura returning from injury, Hachimura's health has become a main concern for the team.
After nearly a month out with a knee injury, Hachimura acknowledged that he may not be fully healthy until the offseason, leading the LA Lakers to manage his minutes carefully.
"The Rui thing could be a bit of an issue for them in the long term. What if he just can't quite get back to being who he was? He was such a pivotal player and such an important piece," Jovan Buha of The Athletic noted on his podcast.
"That honestly might be my biggest concern right now -- what if Rui can't quite get back to being Rui in a timely manner? ... Maybe there's more confidence internally, but the way Rui talked about his injury and the way JJ [Redick] has talked about it, have not been encouraging."
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In his first game back against the Chicago Bulls, Hachimura stated he felt about 70-80% healthy.
"My knee's going to be like this for a while, I think. I can't really get back to 100% right away. I need to rest for a long time to return to my normal," the Japanese forward explained.
Hachimura is the fourth Lakers offensive option and an important piece in their defensive schemes. This season, he is averaging 13.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 40.3% from beyond the arc over 52 games.
However, he scored only five points in each of the recent losses to Chicago and Orlando.
The Lakers, meanwhile, are currently the No. 4 seed in the West with a 43-28 record.
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