【NBA Playoffs】Rui Hachimura is hot! Contributed 12 points in 42 minutes!

2023-05-24 17:21

【NBA Playoffs】Rui Hachimura is hot! Contributed 12 points in 42 minutes!

News on May 24th , in a game at the end of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA playoffs, the Lakers lost 111-113 at home to the Nuggets. In this game, the Lakers player Rui Hachimura started the game and performed well. He played 42 minutes, 3 of 12 shots, 0 of 3 three-pointers , 4 of 4 free throws , 10 points and 7 rebounds. After the game, Hachimura accepted an interview with the media. He said that his time playing for the Lakers was one of the best times in his career.

Hachimura said of the three months he was traded to the Lakers: "For me, it was definitely a crazy three months, of course it was the good kind of crazy, and it was the best time of my life. One." He is very excited and cherishes the experience of joining the Lakers.

Talking about the reasons for choosing the Lakers No. 28 jersey, Hachimura explained: "I usually wear the No. 8 jersey before, but when I came to the Lakers, No. 8 has a special meaning for this team. It belongs to the legend of the team. Kobe Bryant. And I chose the number 28 mainly because it is my birthday, and also in honor of Gigi (Kobe Bryant's daughter, wearing number 2 jersey) and Kobe Bryant (wearing number 8 jersey ).” This shows Rui Hachimura ’s respect for Kobe and his recognition of the Lakers.

Rui Hachimura was traded from the Wizards to the Lakers before the regular season trade deadline this season. The Lakers sent Kendrick Nunn and three future second-round picks in the deal. After Hachimura joined the Lakers, he played a total of 33 regular season games, including 9 starts, averaging 22.4 minutes per game, averaging 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.2 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. He's shooting 48.5 percent from the field , 29.6 percent from three-point range and 72.1 percent from the free-throw line .

In the just-concluded 2022-2023 season playoffs, Hachimura played 16 games on behalf of the Lakers , including 1 start, averaging 24.3 minutes per game, averaging 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.3 blocks. He's shooting 55.7 percent from the field , 48.7 percent from three-point range and 88.2 percent from the free-throw line . Compared with the regular season, his performance in the playoffs has improved significantly.

According to reports, Rui Hachimura was selected by the Wizards with the 9th overall pick in the 2019 draft and signed a 4-year rookie contract with a total value of 20.34 million US dollars. This contract will expire after the end of this season.

According to Jovan Buha, a reporter from The Athletic, the source of the Lakers, the Lakers management is expected to provide Hachimura with a qualification offer of US$7.7 million before June 30, Beijing time, making him a restricted free agent. After that, the Lakers have the right to match other teams' offer contracts to Hachimura during the offseason this summer.

According to a report by ESPN's famous basketball reporter Adrian Wojnarowski , the annual salary of Hachimura's next contract is expected to be around $10 million. Considering that the Lakers management intends to keep Rui Hachimura, it is very likely that he will stay with the Lakers.