The Los Angeles Lakers finally have Rui Hachimura back in the rotation. In the midst of one of the best stretches of his NBA career, Hachimura suffered a knee injury that ultimately kept him sidelined for 12 games.
Thankfully, Hachimura is back on the court and the Lakers are already remembering how important he is to team success.
Hachimura struggled during his first two games back, scoring 10 points between losses to the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic. He attempted just 10 shots in those games, which seemingly spoke to how much of a learning curve there will be as he makes his way back into the full-time rotation.
Thankfully, Hachimura stepped up when the Lakers needed him most, helping the team right the ship by securing a thrilling 120-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Hachimura returned to the starting lineup against Indiana, playing just under 28 minutes—his most since his return. He continued to be passive as a scorer, but when he picked his spots, he made the absolute most of them.
With a perfect showing from beyond the arc and the infectious energy that has made him invaluable, Hachimura reminded the skeptics of what the Lakers can do at full strength.
Rui Hachimura reminding skeptics of why he's Lakers' X-Factor
Hachimura finished the win over Indiana with 14 points, four rebounds, and one assist in 28 minutes of playing time. He shot 4-of-5 from the field, including a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc, while also making both of his free throws.
On a night when Indiana made 15 three-point field goals, Hachimura's marksmanship proved nothing short of essential to success.
More importantly, Hachimura scored six of his 14 points in the final 2:23 of the fourth quarter. Los Angeles had gone nearly two minutes without a bucket when he ended the dry spell, and he marched down and buried another triple just 32 seconds later.
It was the epitome of what Hachimura has provided during the 2024-25 regular season: Whatever the Lakers have needed, whenever they've needed it.
Hachimura may not be making the leap to stardom that Austin Reaves is in the midst of, but he's been essential nonetheless. He's set the tone on both ends of the floor with his energy and has been receptive to constructive criticism from first-year head coach JJ Redick.
That commitment to improvement enabled Hachimura to average 17.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest in the 11 outings prior to the game in which he was injured.
The obvious hope is that Hachimura can return to that level, as his uptick in production directly coincided with Los Angeles going 9-2 during that 11-game run. Even if he doesn't produce in that range, however, his presence on the court could change the tone of the season.
Thankfully, Hachimura is inching closer to the level he's consistently performed at this season at a time when the Lakers desperately need his help.
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