Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura has become one of the more enigmatic figures on the roster. A talented, athletic, and skilled two-way wing who has at times set the tone with his energy, Hachimura is somewhere in between a glue guy and a miscast contributor.
Thankfully, as the Lakers ask him to embrace a new role as sixth man, Hachimura is putting the pieces together on how to help the team win.
Hachimura has been challenged by head coach JJ Redick to embrace his strengths as a player. His success in doing so played a meaningful role in Los Angeles winning 50 games in 2024-25, but there always seemed to be something missing.
According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, Hachimura acknowledged his learning curve and spoke candidly about how he's begun to figure out ways to contribute to the Lakers when his shot isn't falling or the ball isn't coming his way.
“It’s funny. I think I got used to it. It’s four years here, and [the] first three years I was, I didn’t know what to do,” Hachimura said. “If I didn’t touch the ball for like whole quarter, like, it’s done for me. I can’t do anything for the game, but now I’m used to it. I think it’s more so the mental. When I had that always I used to think ‘Oh f—. Like I couldn’t shoot. I didn’t touch the ball.’ But now, I’m trying to think ‘OK, what I can do to help to win this game? Rebound, box out, help defense. Those are little movements that’s gonna keep me into the game. So then, when I get to the ball, I’m still in rhythm.”
Hachimura has all of the tools to plug whichever gaps the Lakers need him to, and in 2025-26, he's beginning to figure out how to do exactly that.
Rui Hachimura embracing new role as Lakers' glue guy
Hachimura has become one of the most efficient shooters in the NBA during his tenure with the Lakers. He's shot 42.0 percent from beyond the arc on 3.9 three-point field goal attempts per game since the start of the 2023-24 campaign, bottoming out at 41.3 percent in 2024-25.
Even with his efficient shooting numbers, however, Hachimura isn't guaranteed volume on a team with three players who play a high-usage style in Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
That could shatter a player's confidence, but Hachimura is taking the adversity in stride and finding ways to help the Lakers win. That includes stepping up on the defensive end of the floor, corner crashing, and attacking with less trepidation when the ball comes his way.
The latter may be the most important piece of the puzzle, as the Lakers are 15-4 when Hachimura attempts at least 10 shots and 8-7 when he plays but fails to.
Rui Hachimura figuring out how to help when shots aren't coming his way
The key to reaching that figure, however, is knowing what to do when there are possessions or even stretches during which he doesn't touch the ball. It's the hurdle all supporting players face, particularly when they're accustomed to playing a vastly different style outside of the NBA.
For what it's worth: Hachimura is the go-to scorer for the Japanese men's national basketball team and averaged 19.7 points per game as the offensive focal point during his final season at Gonzaga.
Thankfully, Hachimura is putting himself in a position to receive more shot attempts by virtue of what he's doing apart from scoring in Los Angeles. During the Lakers' past two wins, for instance, Hachimura had a combined 14 rebounds and four offensive boards, and played excellent defense in key spots. It's no coincidence that he attempted 13 shots in both games.
If Hachimura is able to stay the course and continue contributing in other phases of the game, his scoring will fall into place as he excels as the Lakers' new sixth man.