Rui Hachimura shines in his Lakers debut: Grade and analysis

You’d have to be shallow not to give Rui Hachimura his flowers after debuting for the Los Angeles Lakers last night. On a night where people were excited to see the shiny new forward, his shine was partially snatched due to the return of All-NBA Laker big man Anthony Davis from his six-week hiatus.

AD played well in limited minutes against the San Antonio Spurs, tallying 21 points and 12 rebounds. While Davis did that, Rui was silently putting up a fantastic evening. Let’s take a dive into the 24-year-old’s debut, both the good and the bad, to land on a final letter grade.

The good from Rui Hachimura’s Lakers debut:

In a healthy 22-minute showing Rui Hachimura racked up 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist while not only shooting an efficient 4-7 from the field but also recording the team-high +/- with +17.

Now, for reasons such as him being a lottery pick in 2019 at no. 9, or for the exuberant response from Lakers Nation on Twitter, expectations may have been higher than that. Why that shouldn’t be the case is all about location, location, location.

The first Japanese Laker ever isn’t a young star playing for Houston or Orlando, he’s playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. A team that has options 1-3 already sorted out, and although it looks like a steep climb, has championship aspirations.

His role on this team is not going to be that of a star until at least LeBron James leaves town. But for now, in his role of just that, a role player, I think there is a bright future for him.

The bad from Rui Hachimura’s Lakers debut:

Rui arrived in LA Tuesday, and by Wednesday, was getting his first game minutes in front of Lakers fans. Common sense would lead me to believe that these “flaws” if you will, can simply be chalked up to a lack of time spent with the team.

For instance, the moments I saw last night where he looked a little lost on offense make total sense. He’s never even practiced with these players before — outside of Russell Westbrook, Thomas Bryant, and Troy Brown Jr. in D.C.

There is one noticeable trait that could be a legitimate hole in his game. Whether it be for lack of knowledge over defensive schemes, lack of communication, or lack of effort, his performance on the defensive end can be improved upon. He’s never been the strongest defender and has often throughout his college days at Gonzaga and in the pros relied too heavily on his offensive game.

But in the right system, with the right players, and with Anthony Davis as a failsafe in the paint, there is a clear path to improvement.

Grade for Rui Hachimura’s Lakers debut: B+

All things considered for the young forward, it was a very promising game overall. That may be my gross level of optimism for the Lakers talking, but there is a lot to build off here. Defensively there is growth to be had but offensively if where he will make his money. If leading the team in +/- ends up being his floor, well thank the Lord for Rob Pelinka and the manna that follows.

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