The Los Angeles Lakers made a string of interesting moves to revamp their roster mid-season, and it worked like clockwork.
It all started when they traded for former Washington Wizards lottery pick Rui Hachimura, who made an immediate impact off the bench.
Hachimura made a great impression in his first half-season in Southern California, and he’s poised to have a bigger role going forward.
He’s been quite impressive in the preseason, scoring the ball efficiently and looking more confident in his offense than ever before.
When asked about the reason behind his newfound success, Hachimura told Spectrum SportsNet that he’s just being more aggressive.
"I'm just trying to be aggressive more." Rui Hachimura on what has been working for him. pic.twitter.com/DSBJTTSmY2
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 12, 2023
Notably, LeBron James has reportedly taken Hachimura under his wing in the offseason, working out together and trying to get him to work on his game.
Needless to say, Hachimura is no LeBron, but they do have similar body types and are privileged athletes, so Hachimura could take several pages out of James’ book if he wants to make the most of his game.
James was an unstoppable force of nature when he drove to the lane in his prime, and there’s no reason to think that he can’t shape Hachimura into that same kind of offensive player.
Hachimura is a strong candidate to start next to James and Anthony Davis in the frontcourt, but it seems like nothing’s set in stone in Darvin Ham’s mind.
He’s moved his pieces around and has gone with several different lineups lately.
One thing’s for sure, though: Hachimura will be on the floor early and often.
NEXT: Darvin Ham Doubles Down On Comments About 1 Lakers Player
