Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick said on May 30 that he is pleased with Rui Hachimura’s performance during the team’s postseason run. Hachimura averaged 17.5 points per game in 10 playoff games, shooting 54.9% from the field and 56.9% from three-point range.
Hachimura played a significant role for the Lakers while Austin Reaves missed four games and Luka Doncic was sidelined with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. Redick said, “He’s played great for us in these playoffs and had some great moments last year as well. I’m happy for him because any time a guy that you care about is playing great basketball under the circumstances and under a lot of pressure that the playoffs bring, you feel a sense of joy for them.”
Redick discussed Hachimura’s improvement as a shooter since joining the team. “I’ve told this story before, but we were in preseason in September before my first year, kind of going through some of the guys that had been in town and were shooting the ball,” Redick said. He continued, “Beau (Levesque) is his PD coach and we were talking about Rui and having the discussion about whether or not the 3-point shooting was real because he hadn’t been that in Washington and had a couple good stretches with the Lakers, was coming off a 40-plus-percent season. I’m not gonna name names, but there’s some coaches that didn’t believe in the shooting.
We all clearly believe in the shooting now. He’s a true laser and I think he’s just been, we talked this series, we talked in the Houston series, the decisiveness. I think he’s done a great job just being decisive knowing when to attack closeouts and when to shoot.”
Redick also noted how Hachimura has adapted his playstyle since arriving in Los Angeles by extending his range beyond the three-point line despite initially preferring post touches or mid-range shots.
With free agency approaching, teams may pursue Hachimura due to his improved performance as an outside shooter; however, he said he has not yet considered free agency decisions and will leave those discussions to his agent.