Rui Hachimura Starting to THRIVE as 6TH MAN? Is Lakers RECENT DEFENSIVE BUMP REAL?

Going back to training camp, may people, including the hosts of this show, have been clamoring for Rui Hachimura to come off the bench, where his skill set -- offensive punch, shooting ability, and so on -- would be better featured. Moreover, putting Rui on the bench also makes it easier for JJ Redick to pair him with the kinds of defenders that can help raise his level and cover his shortcomings.

And lo and behold, over the last three games, with Rui's minutes restriction seeming to end, the Lakers have had some very positive results in his minutes.

So is this something they can capitalize on going forward? Now that Rui is capable of playing regular minutes, is Redick going to resist any temptation to put him back in the starting lineup?

And what happens when Austin Reaves comes back, which should be before the end of this roadie? The Lakers need Austin's scoring, up and down the lineup, and just as important, for him to move other players into slots that suit them better. LeBron shouldn't be asked to put up 25-30 a night. The bench units get better because one more member of the Big Three is available there to play with them. Your last guy in the rotation may not play at all.

These types of incremental improvements can make a significant difference for a team like the Lakers whose shortcomings are obvious and hard to address.


HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Rui as a sixth man... is it working?
SEGMENT 2: Why it makes sense for Rui to come off the bench.
SEGMENT 3: What happens when Reaves is back?

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