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Potentially the third Japanese national to play in the NBA
There have been two Japanese players in the history of the NBA. The first was Yuta Tabuse. Tabuse played for the Phoenix Suns back in 2004, after he went undrafted in 2002, coming out of BYU-Hawaii. He was a 5’9 point guard who won a championship in North America playing for the Long Beach Jam of the ABA.
A huge celebrity in Japan, Tabuse played in four games as a Phoenix Suns‘ player averaging 1.8 points per game. Since his time in Phoenix, Tabuse has played for D-League teams such as the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, Bakersfield Jam and the Anaheim Arsenal. He also was a member of the New Jersey Nets pro summer league team in Orlando back in 2008. The majority of his basketball success occurred in Japan.
The second Japanese player to make it into the NBA was 6’9 small forward Yuta Watanabe. Watanabe played college basketball in the United States for George Washington from 2014-18. Like his countryman Tabuse, he went undrafted in 2018. Watanabe played in the 2018 summer league for the Brooklyn Nets after which he signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. Watanabe has played in three games for the Grizzlies this year averaging 1.3 points per game.
With the coming 2019 NBA Draft in June, the third ever Japanese player might find himself a member of the NBA. Rui Hachimura is a highly ranked third-year player for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Hachimura is a 6’8 230 pound small /power forward. He is currently, according to nbadraft.net, the 4th highest ranked prospect for the 2019 NBA Draft. He is averaging 21.7 points per game on 58% shooting and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Hachimura will be 21 years old on February 8th, 2019. In recent weeks, both Bol Bol, who plays for the Oregon Ducks, and is the son of former NBA player Manute Bol and Rui Hachimura were ranked behind Duke’s Cameron Reddish.
Reddish who seems to have been struggling with his game the last 3-4 weeks may end the possibility of the Duke Blue Devils having three players drafted 1,2, and 3 in the NBA Draft if he can't improve. In this article, we will take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Rui Hachimura.
Strengths
Rui Hachimura has good size at 6’8 and 230 pounds for the NBA. He runs the floor well often finishing plays in transition and on the fast break. Hachimura does have a knack for making game-winning plays.
In a winning effort against Duke University, earlier this Hachimura partially blocked R.J. Barrett’s game-tying shot attempt and then was able to secure the rebound after Duke had a second chance shot in the 89-87 victory.
On December 5th, 2018 Hachimura won a contest against Washington University with .6 seconds on the clock in a game tied at 79-79. His turn around jumper over 6’11 Sam Timmins of Washington was the game winner.
Hachimura has the size and strength to post up his defender and he has a good low post offensive game. Hachimura almost never forces his offense. He also makes very good passes in the half court sets leading to easy shots for teammates.
Defensively, Hachimura does not leave his feet prematurely which keeps him out of foul trouble. He only averages 2.4 fouls per game. He is a decent rebounder averaging 6.7 per game this season.
What is also remarkable about Rui Hachimura is against the highly ranked Duke Blue Devils he scored 20 points shooting 50%. In a loss to the University of North Carolina Hachimura scored 17 points even though he shot just 35.7%.
Duke and UNC have potential lottery pick prospects for the 2019 NBA Draft and Hachimura was not overpowered. This poise may be a result of the fact that he is a third-year player and has experience. He has improved his scoring almost double from last season at 21.7 from 11.6 last season.
Weaknesses
Defensively Hachimura needs to pay less respect to his opponents and take away their space when shooting. He does contest shooters on the perimeter, but he is often late, with the challenge, because he tends to play off his man.
Hachimura can catch and shoot and is solid from 16 feet and in. However, he will need to continue developing consistency with his three-point shooting which is a skill that is important in the NBA today.
Another weakness in Hachimura’s game is that he is not aggressive in seeking out his offense. Unlike Duke’s Zion Williamson or R.J Barrett who will put the ball on the floor and attack defenders and the rim, Hachimura almost never does this.
When he does, he shows a quick first step. Perhaps ball handling is an issue as he averages more turnovers than assists at 2.2 to 1.8. He will need to improve his assist to turnover ratio once he’s in the NBA. Finally, around the basket, Hachimura needs to ensure he goes up strong as he tends to get close-range shots blocked.
The NBA Draft is 184 days away. United States collegiate and international prospects still have 6 months to make an impression on NBA scouts who are trying to determine the best prospect choice for the NBA franchise that employs them.
Hachimura brings a calmness and poise to his game that freshmen and junior collegiate players don't have and that experience will serve him well at the 2019 NBA Draft.
