The Los Angeles Lakers are revealing themselves to be better than expected. At 21-17, Los Angeles is on pace to secure a guaranteed spot in the playoffs, avoid the Play-In Tournament, and set itself up for a postseason series it could realistically win.
If the Lakers are going to take the next step toward consistency at the highest level, however, then they'll need to empower Rui Hachimura as a scorer.
Hachimura has played well in 2024-25, excelling in the areas JJ Redick and the coaching staff have emphasized for him. He's averaging 12.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 offensive boards, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.5 three-point field goals made on .490/.425/.785 shooting.
Beyond the numbers, Hachimura has been receptive to the coaching staff asking him to crash the offensive glass, space the floor, and defend with more assertiveness.
Despite the progress he's made, the Lakers need more from Hachimura than they're currently receiving. Perhaps it's a product of how he's being utilized rather than what he himself is failing to do, but there's one statistic that simply can't be overlooked.
Thus far in 2024-25, the Lakers are 8-1 when Hachimura scores at least 15 points—and 10-14 when he plays and doesn't.
Lakers are 8-1 when Rui Hachimura scores 15+ points
Hachimura has always been a capable scorer, possessing an intriguing level of versatility on offense. He has the size, strength, and athleticism to physically overwhelm opponents and play above the rim, as well as the skill level to attack closeouts and convert jump shots.
Unfortunately, he's attempted at least 10 field goals in just 13 of his 33 appearances—a number that's far too low considering how much his scoring impacts winning.
That number may be even more significant than the 8-1 mark when he scores 15 or more points. Los Angeles is 10-3 when Hachimura tallies at least 10 field goal attempts, as well as 13-4 when he puts up at least nine shots.
Yet, he's failed to reach the 10-shot plateau in 20 different appearances, and has fallen short of nine attempts in 16 games.
Los Angeles doesn't necessarily need to increase his scoring output to the point of testing if he can be a go-to player. An authentic nine-to-10 shots per game should be an easy minimum to reach, however, especially when one can draw a direct line from Hachimura's offensive involvement to winning.
Simply having him shoot is a tried and true formula for the Lakers finding success, as they're even 4-2 when he attempts nine shots and converts at a clip below 40.0 percent.
Moving forward, the Lakers must make it a point to involve Hachimura on offense and give opposing defenses reason to not exclusively focus on Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves. It worked the last time out, as Hachimura scored 23 points on 15 shots in a 117-108 win over the Miami Heat.
Whether it's as a starter or the sixth man, Hachimura must enter into a role that emphasizes his involvement on offense if the Lakers are to realize their potential as a contender.