Rui Hachimura has been with the Los Angeles Lakers for two seasons and has averaged 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds.
There have been games when he’s been red-hot and others when he hasn’t been very productive.
Speaking on “The Pat Bev Podcast”, via NBACentral, Patrick Beverley said that Hachimura needs to change his approach in order to do more for the Lakers.
He said the 26-year-old forward needs to view himself as the team’s second-best option.
He should gain more confidence and believe in his shots, even when they’re not falling.
This will help the Lakers, just like it’s helped them before.
Pat Bev says Rui Hachimura should approach games with the mindset that he’s the second option on the Lakers
(🎥 @PatBevPod )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 23, 2024
Beverley noted that Kyle Kuzma had a similar approach when he played with the Lakers during the 2019-20 season.
Some people made fun of him when he was inconsistent but he never stopped believing in himself.
That eventually led to him shooting better, helping out more, and being a vital part of the team’s championship run.
The Lakers have two of the best players in the game with LeBron James and Anthony Davis and their talent is unquestioned.
The problem with the team is the lack of depth beyond those two.
They don’t have players they can regularly rely on and inconsistency plagues them often.
If Hachimura is able to find more confidence, everything will fall into place and the Lakers will have their trusted second option.
Hachimura averaged 13.6 points and 4.3 rebounds last season and started in 39 of his 68 games.
There is a good chance he will be a starter when the new season begins and that will give him a huge opportunity to show what he can do for the team.
