The Los Angeles Lakers need to give LeBron James some serious support if they want to stay alive in the playoffs long enough for Luka Doncic to return, and Rui Hachimura may be the key. With Doncic and (likely) Austin Reaves out for the majority of the first round, the Lakers need someone to step up in the scoring department, and Hachimura seems like the most likely candidate.
Obviously, James is going to do a lot of the heavy lifting. The Lakers need him to turn back the clock and deliver an old-school performance if they want to take down Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. But James can’t do it all by himself.
And Hahicmura needs to be ready to step up to the plate.
Lakers need Rui Hachimura to step up in the playoffs
Since Doncic went down, Hachimura has given the Lakers some solid performances, highlighted by 20-point nights in two out of the five games he played without the Slovenian superstar.
However, the Lakers will need that on a more consistent basis as the playoffs roll on. If they want to take down the Rockets, Hachimura will have to deliver for the Lakers on both ends of the floor.
First and foremost, Hachimura needs to hit his shots. James is inevitably going to create open three-point looks for his teammates, and Hachimura, above everyone else, needs to convert.
He’s been a solid three-point shooter since joining LA, but the contests from Houston may be tougher in the first round because they won’t have to worry about Doncic. That means Hachimura is going to have to hit tougher shots. And he has to.
And LA will need Hachimura to do more than just hit his threes, too. He’ll have to create a bit for himself at times, which isn’t exactly his type of game. But when guys like Doncic and Reaves are out, all bets are off.
On top of that, the Lakers will need Hachimura to give them some elite minutes on the defensive end of the court, as the Rockets have a ton of talent.
There’s a good chance that JJ Redick sticks Hachimura on Durant for stretches, and even if he doesn’t draw that assignment, he’ll have to deal with someone like Amen Thompson or Tari Eason.
No matter who Hachimura ends up guarding, he’ll have to bring it as one of the Lakers’ better defenders, while also contributing in bunches on the offensive end.
If LA wants to survive long enough to see a Doncic return, Hachimura is the key.
Add us as a preferred source on Google