Rui Hachimura shouldn’t be a member of the Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineup, and instead, JJ Redick should look to use Marcus Smart or Jarred Vanderbilt alongside the rest of the first five. Alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James, placing a point-of-attack defender like Smart would perfectly round things out, especially with how Hachimura has looked.
Despite his ideal size for the four spot, Hachimura hasn’t looked amazing on defense. And with Doncic and a 40-year-old James in the starting group, Redick needs to make sure he puts the best possible defenders around them. At this point, it could be a better idea to roll with Smart or Vanderbilt.
That said, the Lakers will have plenty of time to experiment throughout the course of the season, and Hachimura could be very effective off the bench.
Who should the Lakers start?
Through the Lakers’ first two preseason games, Hachimura has struggled. Not only has he failed to shoot the ball efficiently on the offensive end, but his defense hasn’t been great, either.
This could leave room for Redick to experiment with different starting lineups. The Lakers have okay depth, but if they want to compete in a crowded West, they need everything to be clicking nicely. Hachimura's struggles on defense would disrupt that.
Vanderbilt, on the other hand, has looked great during the preseason so far. He hasn’t been the same since his injury issues kicked in, but in each of the past two games, he’s been impressive.
Though his offensive game is still shaky, especially from beyond the three-point line, he’s a pesky defender who knows how to make a significant impact on that end of the court.
If he can continue to improve as an off-ball cutter offensively, it could help Redick keep him on the floor so the Lakers can utilize his defensive skill set.
As for Smart, while the veteran guard hasn’t appeared in either of the Lakers’ first two preseason games, it’s very obvious what he brings to the table, even this late into his career.
Despite having dealt with injuries for the past few seasons, Smart is still a very smart defender who should be able to help the Lakers on that end of the court.
While he may no longer be an 82-game player, especially with his injury history, his defense could be a perfect pairing next to Doncic in the Lakers’ backcourt, especially considering how well he has been able to guard bigger guys over the course of his career.
Hachimura could end up being the starter, but Redick should seriously consider replacing him with either Smart or Vanderbilt.