The Los Angeles Lakers will bring Rui Hachimura off the bench when he returns from a six-game absence on Monday night. Fans have been clamoring for his move since LeBron James returned to the lineup. Both players are best suited to play the four, and the Lakers desperately need more defense on the floor in their starting five. It is a tough call as Hachimura has played better as a starter, but Los Angeles needs better lineup balance moving forward.
Hachimura’s counting stats are down, despite him playing more minutes this season. There are fewer shots and rebounding opportunities when he is sharing the floor with Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves. Lakers fans know he is capable of doing more, and the decline in production has some fans wanting LA to move on.
Hachimura will get more touches and usage in the second unit. He will also be in a more advantageous position defensively, where he can guard threes and fours. The 6’8 forward will play more with just one of Luka and LeBron on the floor, and the balance should be much better.
Lakers are finally bringing Rui Hachimura off the bench
Much has been made about the Lakers' lack of scoring off the bench this season. They are dead last in the NBA, but some of that falls on head coach JJ Redick. He is using his five best offensive players as the starters. It leaves Los Angeles relying on Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart to boost the bench scoring.
Jovan Buha summed up all the talking points on why coach Redick should make Hachimura's coming off the bench a permanent move.
If this is a permanent adjustment, it would help a ton:
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) January 11, 2026
1) Breaks up LA’s healthy starting lineup, which has struggled on *both* ends
2) Balances that group with more defense/energy (Smart or LaRavia remains a starter into deadline)
3) Positions Rui to succeed in a higher-usage… https://t.co/yP8Zenw5Rh
The 27-year-old is averaging 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 32.5 minutes per game. He is shooting a career-high 52.1 percent from the field and has made 44.5 percent on his 3-point attempts. Hachimura has become a lights-out shooter in LA, which the Lakers desperately need. It is all about finding the right lineups to maximize his skill set.
Redick’s preferred starting lineup has only played 85 minutes together this season because of injuries, but they have a negative-19.9 net rating per NBA Stats. The group with Marcus Smart replacing Reaves is at negative-26.0. Those numbers scream it is time for a change, especially with the Lakers' sights set on title contention.
The five-man group with Smart and LaRavia replacing Hachimura and Reaves has a plus-10.0 net rating over 77 minutes. Coach Redick will lean into that group more with AR sidelined. It is working and gives the team needed defensive versatility.
Hachimura has shot considerably better as a starter throughout his career, but he must adjust to better fit with the current roster. There is too much redundancy between him and LeBron that splitting the duo is a must. Redick is experimenting in Hachimura’s return from injury, but this could quickly become a permanent change.
The Los Angeles Lakers need to bring Rui Hachimura off the bench and let him cook a bit more in the second unit. He is an absolute bucket that rarely misses an open look. Giving him more shots is a plus for LA. The only way that happens is coming off the bench. Now, coach Redick just needs to make the move permanent.