Rui Hachimura has quietly become the perfect role player around Luka Doncic
Rui Hachimura offers the three-point shooting and defensive versatility Luka Doncic needs.
By
Maxwell Ogden
Los Angeles Lakers wing Rui Hachimura has quietly developed into a player who can check almost every box as the ideal forward in a lineup that’s built around Luka Doncic. He’s steadily emerged as a versatile defender, a corner 3 specialist, and a corner-crashing asset who can play above the rim.
All eyes will be on potential extension negotiations between Hachimura and the Lakers, but for the time being, what needs to be known is that he’s become a perfect fit alongside Doncic.
Hachimura is preparing for his seventh NBA season, as well as his fourth with the Lakers. Since Los Angeles traded for him in 2023, he’s worked to become the type of player they need on both ends of the floor.
Hachimura’s growth as a player was never more evident than in 2024-25, when he took to head coach JJ Redick’s new system like a fish to water.
Hachimura shot the lights out, rebounded in ways he hadn’t since his rookie season, and established invaluable positional versatility. He thrived alongside Anthony Davis, adapted on the fly when the franchise player was traded, and all but instantly became who Doncic needed him to be.
In 2025-26, Hachimura will be tasked with taking one final step forward in order to secure a new contract with the Lakers and enable Doncic to lead the team to contender status.
Rui Hachimura has become two-way player Luka Doncic needs at forward
Hachimura finished the 2024-25 season averaging 13.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 offensive boards, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.7 three-point field goals made per game. He shot remarkably efficiently, compiling a slash line of .509/.413/.770.
That alone is reason to be optimistic about the value Hachimura can continue to provide as he enters his athletic prime at 27 years of age.
The details of what Hachimura brings to the table are even more intriguing than his general production. For instance: In 2024-25, he shot 41.7 percent on catch-and-shoot threes—an identical figure to the mark he posted in 2023-24.
In addition to becoming a sustainably elite catch-and-shoot option, Hachimura shot 44.5 percent on 110 corner three attempts—perhaps the most significant statistic of all.
One of the primary strengths any Doncic-led team must have is a corner 3 specialist who can create optimal spacing. Doncic is a downhill playmaker who ranks among the best in the NBA at making passes on the drive to open shooters.
That’s already reared its head in Los Angeles, as Hachimura shot 42.9 percent on three-point field goals off of passes from Doncic in 2024-25.
Hachimura can solidify his place as a pillar of Lakers basketball by improving as a point of attack defender in 2025-26. He’s already operating at a starting-caliber level, however, and has the benefit of playing a key role during Los Angeles’ run to the 2023 Western Conference Finals.
Assuming Hachimura sustains what he’s built with the Lakers and makes improvements along the way, he should be safe as a key teammate during the Doncic era.
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