{"id":108521,"date":"2024-11-22T21:24:21","date_gmt":"2024-11-23T02:24:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=108521"},"modified":"2024-11-22T21:24:21","modified_gmt":"2024-11-23T02:24:21","slug":"lakers-news-rui-hachimura-return-nuggets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/22\/lakers-news-rui-hachimura-return-nuggets\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers News: Key Starter to Return Saturday vs. Nuggets"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lakers\u2019 rotation has been in flux due to injuries to several key players. Luckily, the team has announced one of them will return tomorrow against the Denver Nuggets.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Lakers News: Key Starter to Return Saturday vs. Nuggets<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Rui is Back<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forward <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hachiru01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rui Hachimura<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, who has missed the last four games due to an ankle sprain, is set to return to the Lakers tomorrow when they face the Denver Nuggets at 10:30 PM ET\/7:30 PM PT.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rui Hachimura is off the injury report and will return Saturday against DEN, per the Lakers <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WLnk2eGZK3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/WLnk2eGZK3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Dave McMenamin (@mcten) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mcten\/status\/1860126518032367924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 23, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the season, the 26-year-old has averaged 12.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 42% from the field, 50% from three and 82% from the free-throw line. He started all ten games he\u2019s played in so far, including a 3-0 stretch after head coach JJ Redick <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/09\/russell-reddish-lakers-starting-lineup-changes\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">switched up the starting lineup<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In that particular slate, he <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.statmuse.com\/nba\/ask?q=rui+hachimura+last+three+games+2024-25\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">averaged<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 10.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on .423\/.400\/.800 splits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speaking of that starting five\u2014which spurred questions given the impressive play of rookie <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/knechda01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dalton Knecht<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014Redick has confirmed Hachimura will return to the first unit, <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DStarkand\/status\/1859782203808546837\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">telling reporters<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before Thursday\u2019s game:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMy expectation is that Rui would stay in the starting lineup. He\u2019s been awesome for us and I think for the group, whatever role, as a starter, and I know I talked about that not being a \u2018role\u2019 but whatever designation Dalton has, whether he\u2019s coming off the bench or as a starter, I don\u2019t think his role changes at all. I think for him mentally, there\u2019s no [effect] to that. He\u2019s just gonna be the same guy. As a coaching staff, we have to be just cognizant of getting him longer stretches on the court.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/20\/dalton-knechts-career-night-brings-starting-lineup-dilemma\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knecht<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, for what it&#8217;s worth, had a fantastic starting run. In his last four starts\u2014all following Hachimura\u2019s injury\u2014he <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.statmuse.com\/nba\/ask?q=dalton+knecht+last+four+games+2024-25\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">averaged<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 23.8 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 60% from the field and 57% from three. While he may not be a mainstay with the first five, it\u2019s encouraging to know that Redick trusts him to become an integral part of the team\u2019s rotation, an impressive feat for the 23-year-old SEC Player of the Year.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What to Expect From Rui Hachimura<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hachimura\u2019s return brings the Lakers an extra spark plug on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he has improved in terms of shooting and rebounding, burying a career-best 1.8 threes per game and grabbing 2.2 offensive boards per game. He has also looked solid defensively, gaining stops with his 6\u20198\u201d wingspan and being more aggressive on that end of the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a time when the Lakers frontcourt has racked up injuries, a healthy Hachimura is a welcome sight. He\u2019d slide right back into his usual starting role in a pivotal stretch for the Lakers. Over the next week, the team is facing the Nuggets (Nov. 23), Suns (Nov. 26), Spurs (Nov. 27) and Thunder (Nov. 29), with the Suns and Thunder being NBA Cup opponents. All four of those teams have several talented wings who can all give the Lakers headaches. Having Hachimura there to stop them is critical, as his pressure takes the load off of Anthony Davis or LeBron James.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The team\u2019s upcoming matchup against Denver is particularly crucial, as the Lakers have a chance to prove themselves against the Nuggets, a conference rival who\u2019s had their number over the last two seasons in the Nuggets. Given his versatility, Hachimura will be tasked to guard one of <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/portemi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michael Porter Jr.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gordoaa01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aaron Gordon<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, though he may also be switched onto <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jokicni01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nikola Jokic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014who <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ShamsCharania\/status\/1860127245811220617\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">returned earlier this evening<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014if need be. Having Rui available in these types of matchups is incredibly important for the Lakers, who have made a statement early on despite some bumps in the road. Hachimura should have no difficulties re-adjusting to play following his injury, because he\u2019s a big reason why the Lakers found such success in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Lakers\u2019 rotation has been in flux due to injuries to several key players. Luckily, the team has announced one of them will return tomorrow against the Denver Nuggets. Lakers News: Key Starter to Return Saturday vs. Nuggets Rui is Back Forward Rui Hachimura, who has missed the last four games due to an ankle [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4265,"featured_media":108526,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,20,26,62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-nuggets","category-lakers","category-nba"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108521"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108521\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}