Rui Hachimura said he was not surprised to be the starter
In an NBA regular season that ended yesterday, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New York Knicks 129-123 in an away game thanks to the excellent performance of the whole team and through overtime. After the game, Lakers player Rui Hachimura talked about being the team’s starter in this game in an interview with the media.
Hachimura mentioned in an interview: “I didn’t know that I was going to be the team’s starter until the game started, but I was not too surprised. I was already a starter before I started in the NBA. After coming to the Wizards I’ve also become more used to starting a team after two years. I’ve always been prepared, which is not a surprise. Whether it’s a starter or a substitute, all I want to do is play well and play well. Contribute, help the team win, be more active on the field, judging from tonight’s performance, I did a good job on both offense and defense.”
In this game, Rui Hachimura played 40 minutes and 25 seconds and hit 8 goals in 12 shots, including 2 of 4 three-pointers and 1 of 2 free throws, contributing 19 points and 9 rebounds. Trading for Rui Hachimura was a very correct decision for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura, who served as the starter, served as the team’s fourth position, and James was more comfortable at the third position. The overall height of the team also improved the Lakers’ defensive ability. It has been strengthened a lot. When facing the Knicks, James focused more on offense, while Rui Hachimura was responsible for defending Randall and three-point shooting. The Lakers with a clear division of labor showed their true strength.