Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Flirts with double-double in win
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Hachimura ended Saturday's 131-127 victory over Sacramento with 18 points (5-13 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 6-6 FT), nine rebounds and three assists across 37 minutes.
Hachimura was a great late-round option for fantasy managers, and he is paying huge dividends in LA's starting lineup. Although it's early in the season, he's blowing apart averages in previous seasons, sporting dramatic increases in points and rebounds. Even though he's far from the first option on a team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Hachimura has been afforded at least 12 shots in all three of the team's games to open the season.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Solid with 18 points in debut
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Hachimura ended Tuesday's 110-103 win over the Timberwolves with 18 points (7-14 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals in 35 minutes.
Hachimura picked up where he left off in the preseason and delivered another impressive line in the victory. Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) will return to action soon, but it's unlikely coach JJ Redick will adjust Hachimura's usage, especially at his current pace.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Ready for opening night
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Hachimura (calf) said Sunday that he'll be ready to play in Tuesday's season opener against Minnesota, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
Hachimura sat out during both of the Lakers' back-to-back games to end the preseason while nursing a calf tightness, but he's not expected to face any restrictions to begin the regular season. The 26-year-old is coming off arguably the most efficient season of his five-year career, as he averaged 13.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 three-pointers and 1.2 assists across 26.9 minutes per contest while shooting 53.7 percent from the field in 68 appearances.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Not playing Friday
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Hachimura (calf) will not play in Friday's exhibition matchup with the Warriors for rest purposes, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Head coach JJ Redick indicated that Hachimura would be rested along with the other Lakers starters. He missed Los Angeles' previous preseason game due to calf tightness. It looks like the team is erring on the side of caution in order to ensure his health once the regular season commences.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Out due to calf injury
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Hachimura is dealing with calf tightness and won't play in Thursday's preseason game against the Suns, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
The Lakers will be cautious and will sit out both LeBron James (rest) and Hachimura, meaning Cam Reddish and Max Christie will start as replacements. It remains to be seen if Hachimura will be able to feature in the preseason finale against the Warriors on Friday, but those chances seem slim at the moment.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Flirts with double-double in loss
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Hachimura recorded 15 points (5-14 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds, an assist, a steal and a blocked shot across 28 minutes during Tuesday's 111-97 preseason loss to the Warriors.
The Lakers' projected first unit received quality minutes during Tuesday's loss, and Hachimura is firming his hold on the top spot with Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) and Christian Wood (knee) sidelined. Although Vanderbilt should return soon and compete for minutes, Wood's knee surgery will result in a lengthy absence.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Leads team with 14 points
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Hachimura totaled 14 points (6-12 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 0-1 FT), five rebounds, two steals and one assist across 24 minutes in Thursday's 107-102 win over the Bucks.
Hachimura started once again in the frontcourt with Anthony Davis, a trend that could continue into the regular season. Although Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood are still on the roster, Hachimura seems to have the definitive edge over his teammates and the confidence of coach JJ Redick.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Scores 13 points Sunday
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Hachimura totaled 13 points (6-8 FG, 1-1 3Pt), eight rebounds, one assist and one steal across 222 minutes during Sunday's 118-114 preseason loss to Phoenix.
Hachimura was one of five Lakers players Sunday to score in double digits, and he joined D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves as the only starters to play 20-plus minutes. Entering his sixth year in the league and his second full season with the Lakers, Hachimura will look to expand his role in the frontcourt next to Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Healthy to start training camp
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General manager Rob Pelinka said Wednesday that Hachimura is medically cleared for the start of training camp, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
This doesn't come as a surprise, as Hachimura was healthy at the end of last season and starred for Japan during the Paris Olympics. However, he did deal with multiple injuries to begin the 2023-24 campaign, missing 14 of the first 39 games. When healthy, Hachimura is a dynamic scorer who can fill up the box score quickly, and he's expected to open the 2024-25 campaign as a starter in the Lakers' frontcourt next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, per Evan Sidery of Forbes.com.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Double-double in blowout defeat
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Hachimura chipped in 20 points (4-19 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 10-12 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists and one block across 36 minutes in Japan's 97-77 loss to Germany in the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
While Hachimura did rack up a double-double and score a team-high 20 points, he lived from the charity stripe as he struggled to hit shots from the field Saturday. The 26-year-old played nearly the entire game, and he will likely continue to serve as Japan's main offensive option moving forward. Hachimura will look to solve his shooting woes against France on Tuesday.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Ends season on high note
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Hachimura chipped in 15 points (6-15 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds and one assist across 34 minutes during Monday's 108-106 loss to the Nuggets in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Hachimura scored in double figures for the first time during the opening-round series, but it wasn't enough as the Lakers were bounced from the playoffs by the Nuggets for a second consecutive season. From Feb. 9 through April 16, Hachimura averaged 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals-plus-blocks in 31.4 minutes. He excelled as a starter during the regular season, but Hachimura's poor postseason may impact his role next season. He signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the Lakers last summer.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Shores up interior in loss
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Hachimura produced 20 points (7-21 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal in 31 minutes during Tuesday's 134-120 loss to the Warriors.
Hachimura was a valuable piece up front amid Anthony Davis' (head) absence, but his fourth double-double of the season wasn't enough to stave off the Warriors. All four of Hachimura's double-doubles have occurred over the last nine games, making the Gonzaga product a more consistent fantasy producer down the stretch. Over the nine-game span, Hachimura averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Leads team with 30 points in loss
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Hachimura recorded 30 points (11-17 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds and one assist over 36 minutes during Sunday's 127-117 loss to the Timberwolves.
Hachimura tallied one of his best games of the season due to LeBron James' (illness) absence and an early exit from Anthony Davis (eye). Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes stepped up after Davis' exit, further highlighting the depth available to the Lakers as they try to keep pace in the West. Davis' injury isn't considered serious, so Hachimura could experience a slight regression Tuesday against the Warriors.
Hachimura provided 19 points (9-12 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 0-1 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and one block in 27 minutes during Wednesday's 125-120 victory over Washington.
Hachimura finished third on the Lakers in scoring Wednesday behind Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Hachimura is averaging 13.3 points per game this season, but since March 1 he's upped that to 17.2 points on 60.8 percent shooting (including 47.5 percent from three) to go along with 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists over 31.0 minutes per game.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Rides red-hot hand to 32 points
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Hachimura finished with 32 points (11-14 FG, 7-8 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist and two blocks across 36 minutes during Wednesday's 136-124 win over the Grizzlies.
Hachimura entered Wednesday having gone just 3-for-13 from three-point range over his previous five games, but he caught fire against Memphis to drain a season-best seven triples on just eight attempts. In addition to his offensive impact, the power forward grabbed 10 boards to notch his second double-double of the season -- both of which have come in his past two contests. Hachimura featured more prominently with Anthony Davis (knee) out of action, and the former could continue to take on a more central role if Davis needs to miss additional time.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Steps up sans LeBron James
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Hachimura amassed 16 points (7-14 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 14 rebounds and one assist across 39 minutes in Tuesday's 128-124 double-overtime victory over Milwaukee.
Hachimura had already been a fixture in the starting five for the Lakers, but thanks to the absence of LeBron James (ankle) as well as the two extra periods, he played his most minutes of the season and hoisted his most shot attempts since March 8. As per usual, Hachimura didn't make much of an all-around impact in the box score, though he was unusually effective on the glass, with his 14 boards marking the first time all season that he had secured double-digit rebounds.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Quiet in 30 minutes
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Hachimura ended with nine points (4-8 FG, 1-4 3Pt), five rebounds, one assist and one block in 30 minutes during Sunday's 150-145 win over Indiana.
Hachimura had scored in double digits in his previous seven games, but, surprisingly, his streak ended in a game in which the Lakers produced 150 points. He's been terrific in March, posting averages of 16.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 three-pointers.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Efficient in loss to Warriors
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Hachimura produced 14 points (7-10 FG, 0-2 3Pt), four rebounds, two assists and one block in 30 minutes during Saturday's 128-121 loss to Golden State.
Hachimura missed only three of his 10 shots from the field. Still, his contributions on both ends of the court were not enough to lift the Lakers past Golden State in this pivotal matchup with potential playoff-seeding implications. Hachimura has scored in double digits in five straight appearances, averaging 18.0 points while shooting 60.9 percent from the field in that five-game stretch.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Posts 20-point outing
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Hachimura accumulated 20 points (9-11 FG, 2-3 3Pt), three rebounds and one assist in 36 minutes during Wednesday's 120-107 loss to the Kings.
Hachimura struck with precision Wednesday. His extremely efficient outing pushed his recent performance to 19.0 points per game on 59.3 percent shooting off 13.5 shots across his last four games. Cam Reddish (ankle) has yet to consistently re-enter the rotation, but that is a potential factor in Hachimura's role moving forward.
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Lakers' Rui Hachimura: Excels with 29 points
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Hachimura ended Wednesday's 130-120 loss to the Kings with 29 points (13-17 FG, 3-5 3Pt), two rebounds, one block and two steals across 33 minutes.
Hachimura is productive but unpredictable, as there's often no rhyme or reason for the wild differential in utilization. His return to the starting lineup in early February has reaped benefits for the Lakers, but Anthony Davis can be selfish in the frontcourt, allowing fewer opportunities for Hachimura to produce. He's still a viable fantasy candidate as long as he continues to start.
