The Los Angeles Lakers released an updated injury report for Saturday night’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors and Rui Hachimura has been downgraded to out. Leading up to this contest, Hachimura was listed as doubtful due to an illness.
When a player is listed as doubtful, it typically indicates they are not suiting up. So, this should not come as a surprise and Hachimura is missing his second consecutive game due to sickness.
The 28-year-old forward recently moved to a bench role in favor of Marcus Smart and his scoring production has been up and down. Through February, his averages are 10.5 points and three rebounds on 52.4% from the field and 44.7% from 3-point range.
A caveat to these impressive shooting splits is Hachimura’s shot attempts, as he is only averaging eight, with nearly four of those being 3-pointers. With Los Angeles getting healthy, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James have shouldered a considerable amount of the offense.
Historically, Hachimura has struggled coming off the bench, as he typically does not get the same wide-open looks as when he is playing with the starters. Spotting up in the corner as Reaves, Doncic and James break down a defense is where he operates best.
During L.A.’s last game in a loss to the Phoenix Suns, head coach JJ Redick went with Luke Kennard and Jake LaRavia to take up those minutes Hachimura would typically have. Bench scoring has been nonexistent all year and Redick will need a player like Kennard to provide a bit of a scoring punch.
Golden State is coming off two days of rest, with their last game being on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies. However, Stephen Curry remains sidelined, which presents another chance for the Lakers to pick up a necessary win.
Although, the same could be said against the Suns on Thursday and L.A. floundered that opportunity away. The purple and gold are only down one player and something has to give if they hope to get back on track.
Rui Hachimura emphasizes need for more ball movement
Disappointment is a word that describe the Lakers’ recent play as they have not played cohesive basketball all year long for 48 minutes. In a race to the finish line, it is concerning to see the losses the Lakers have had and begs the question if they can figure it out.
Los Angeles’ offense remains inconsistent despite their star power and Rui Hachimura believes there needs to be more ball movement to unlock their ceiling.
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