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Last month, LA Lakers coach Darvin Ham inserted forward Rui Hachimura into his starting five at the expense of veteran wing Taurean Prince. Following the lineup's success, many questioned why Ham didn't make the seemingly obvious rotation change sooner. However, according to the 50-year-old, he started Prince out of necessity.
After bouncing in and out of LA's starting five, Hachimura became a full-time starter on Feb. 3. The move provided the Lakers with extra size and scoring in their frontcourt alongside superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
“We’re just very big,” James said on Feb. 5. “We have a lot of length, a lot of athleticism. Rui works well with us.”
Since Feb. 3, LA (41-32) has gone 16-7. Meanwhile, during that span, it has the NBA's second-best offensive rating (120.0), trailing only the Boston Celtics (127.6), the league's top team (57-15).
Overall, the Lakers are 20-10 when Hachimura starts and 14-15 when he comes off the bench. Meanwhile, they are just 24-25 with Prince in their starting five and 14-6 with him as a reserve.
During Wednesday's 136-124 road victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, Hachimura recorded a game-high 32 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high seven 3-pointers on 78.6% shooting. His strong performance helped the Lakers secure their fifth straight win amid their hunt for a playoff spot.
After the game, Ham was asked if he wishes he had gone to his current starting lineup featuring Hachimura sooner. He instead doubled down on his decision to start Prince, who provided inconsistent 3-and-D play, noting that he had no choice, primarily due to injuries.
"I mean, things play out the way they play out," Ham said. "The same could be said when you're looking and you're going through different stretches during the season.
"I think whether it's injuries or lack of performance, if guys struggle or go through a tough stretch, it forces you to make different decisions, and you have to activate different lineups or different schemes, or whatever you feel like in the moment is going to help you get through whatever rough stretch you're going through."
Notably, Prince has appeared in 69 games this season, while Hachimura has played 59, a 10-game difference. Meanwhile, Prince has started 19 more contests.
Thus, despite LA's injuries, Ham had an opportunity to start Hachimura earlier. Nonetheless, Lakers fans are likely relieved he ultimately made the decision.
Darvin Ham optimistic about Lakers' outlook with Rui Hachimura in starting five
After defending his questionable early-season rotations, Darvin Ham touched on his team's outlook.
Despite LA (41-32) sitting ninth in the Western Conference, in a play-in position, he noted that everything is falling into place.
"We're in a great place. A great place mentally [and] spiritually with the group," Ham said. "... Everything is working according to plan and according to schedule. So, we feel good about where we are right now."
It remains to be seen if the Lakers can maintain their recent success and make the playoffs. If not, Ham could be a scapegoat for an LA team that entered the season with NBA title aspirations.
Also Read: Anthony Davis switching from Kobe’s to LeBron’s seemingly flips “Street Clothes” narrative
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