Don't look now, but the Lakers look like a dangerous playoff team again.
The Lakers started the year 25-25, but are 17-8 in their last 25 games. They are the No. 3 offense in this stretch, outscoring their opponents by 73 points.
What is the cause of this dramatic reversal of fortune? Rui Hachimura returned to the starting lineup in place of Taurean Prince.
This is something we've been asking for since November, and we've seen immediate results. Hachimura is averaging 15.8 points and 4.7 rebounds, and has an impressive field goal percentage of 58.5% and 3-point percentage of 44.7%.
Los Angeles used the same starting lineup of Hachimura, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell from last year's play-in tournament to the Western Conference finals. The Lakers are looking to do the same again, and Hachimura could repeat his role as the team's spark plug.
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Rui Hachimura is definitely a great shooter.
Hachimura's shooting greatly contributed to the Lakers' advancement to the playoffs last season. This was a bit of a surprise. In four seasons with the Wizards, he shot 35.6 percent from 3-point range, but it's hard to tell how much of his 48.7 percent shooting from deep in last year's playoffs was a fluke.
After one season, Hachimura's improved shooting in Los Angeles is very realistic. His 42.1 percent 3-point percentage is the 13th highest mark in the league. He shot an outstanding 41.5 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s and 44.8 percent on corner 3s, making him one of the league's best floor spacers.
Hachimura's development into a deadly shooter has had other positive effects downstream as well. Defenders are now forced to go hard on him, which allows him to drive to the basket the easiest way ever.
Once he gets going, there's no stopping him.
Hachimura deserves a lot of credit for transforming into the perfect role the Lakers needed. During his time with the Wizards, he was more of an isolation scorer. He is still more than capable of delivering explosive attacks, especially when his size doesn't suit him.
He is now a much more complete player than relying on bucket gets. His shooting created more opportunities for players like Reaves, Russell, and of course LeBron. He became just as effective without the ball as he did with it, which helped make the Lakers' offense one of the best in the league.
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Rui Hachimura is doing small things.
For a long time, Hachimura was labeled as a one-dimensional scorer. That too is changing.
Hachimura's rebound numbers seem a little average, but he does things to help the team. He ranks second on the Lakers in boxouts per game behind Anthony Davis and is often seen blocking dangerous offensive rebounders from hitting the glass.
That rebounding has been noticed by teammates like LeBron, who called it “a key for us” after Hachimura grabbed 10 rebounds in a 136-124 win over the Grizzlies in March. called.
Hachimura is also showing smart plays on defense. Although he doesn't have impressive block numbers, he uses good verticality and good positioning to influence his shots. When he's the primary defender, opponents shoot 4.4 percent worse at the rim than expected, according to Crafted NBA.
Hachimura has turned into a great winning player, the type of player who contributes far beyond the box score and makes the players around him better. He's much different than the young prospects who couldn't find a proper role in Washington. LeBron also said Hachimura has looked “very comfortable” as a starter lately.
Everything is falling into place for Hachimura in Los Angeles. He's made the Lakers a very dangerous team, one that could go down the same surprising path as last year.
The Lakers are 3-1 against the Thunder this season, although Denver still has a possibly insurmountable challenge. Hachimura has performed well in these matchups with a field goal success rate of 53.3 percent and a three-shot success rate of 54.5 percent. If the Lakers end up playing in that first-round matchup, they could once again serve as a spoiler.
