Since Darvin Ham permanently elevated him into your Los Angeles Lakers’ starting five, high-ceilinged combo forward Rui Hachimura has helped absolutely reinvigorate the club.
To wit, LA has won five of those six contents (and six out of its last seven overall), including three straight.
In those six starts, the 6’8″ Gonzaga product is looking like his 2023 playoffs self, averaging 15 points on eye-popping efficiency (64% from the floor and 41% from deep).
So why hasn’t he been starting all year, despite clearly earning the trust of LA’s front office (to the tune of a three-year, $51 million contract)?
It turns out that’s something Hachimura, too, has been wondering.
In comments made to gathered media after the game (h/t to Michael Corvo of ClutchPoints), Hachimura appeared to take a not-so-subtle dig at his head coach’s weird lineup tinkering this season, before Ham perhaps inevitably landed on one of his most-used playoff groups.
Hachimura and All-Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the frontcourt, with guards D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves in the backcourt.
Hachimura is actually pacing LA in raw plus-minus this season.
Across his 41 healthy games, Hachimura is averaging 11.4 points on .506/.377/.724 shooting splits, plus 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals a night.
Tucker has lost his minutes within the Clippers, only playing in 12 games since being traded to Los Angeles.
He is toward the end of his career, but can still be an effective role piece for a team.
He is very unhappy with the Clippers despite the team winning.
Tucker likely realizes that he doesn’t have much more time to play and wants his chance to give what he has left.
