Los Angeles Lakers: Did Darvin Ham Make a Mistake Not Starting Rui Hachimura Earlier?

While Hachimura’s performance against the Grizzlies was great, it wasn’t his best game of the season as a Laker. That occurred when Los Angeles faced the Utah Jazz in February and got the win over them. In that contest, the Japanese forward dropped 36 points on 68 percent shooting from the field and two rebounds.

Given the chance, Hachimura can do a lot with more minutes given to him. Given his profile as an efficient scorer, both under the post and beyond the arc, the forward has the potential to elevate the Lakers’ ceiling in the years to come.

Darwin Ham Reveals Whether Rui Hachimura Should’ve Been a Starter for the Los Angeles Lakers

After Hachimura’s big game against Memphis, people have been thinking whether making him a starter this season could’ve improved the Lakers’ record. Head coach Darwin Ham sheds light on that matter, as seen in  a post shared by Jovan Buha on X:

This season, Hachimura is averaging 13.1 points on 53 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent from deep. The Lakers forward is also making 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

It remains to be seen whether the transition from a reserve role to starter can mean better things for Los Angeles. In any case, Hachimura has the skill and talent to make that happen for his career.