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Rui Hachimura is looking to make an impact as a member of the LA Lakers. The talented forward has impressed in his first two games since being traded from the Washington Wizards.
Hachimura has the talent to be an intriguing piece for the Lakers. As part of the Washington Wizards, Rui showcased the potential as a rising young NBA talent. After a roster logjam, as well as struggling to agree on an extension, the Wizards moved Hachimura before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
That's when the LA Lakers saw an opportunity to take a chance on acquiring a low-risk, high-reward type of talent. In his first two games with the Lakers, Hachimura is averaging 9.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in just 22.5 minutes.
On the "Know Mercy" podcast with Stephen A. Smith, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss spoke about the newly acquired forward. Buss talked about how Hachimura chose to wear the No. 28 with a special honor to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
"Our new player, Hachimura, when I met him and I asked him, 'Have you chosen a number yet?' Buss said. "And he said, 'Yeah, I'm wearing No. 28. I'm like, 'Oh, great.' And he said, 'Because of No. 2 for Gianna and No. 8 for Kobe.' And I was like, 'This kid's gonna do that.'"
Rui Hachimura looks to make impact with LA Lakers
The LA Lakers needed to find a way to add an intriguing piece for the 2022-23 season and beyond. It looks like they could have found that with forward Rui Hachimura.
Hachimura looked like a player who was rapidly on the rise during his first two seasons in the NBA with the Washington Wizards. In just his second season, Hachimura averaged 13.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 1.4 assists per game.
The LA Lakers are viewed as a team that had to make some strategic additions before the trade deadline. With the addition of Hachimura, it looks as if there's a chance that he could stay in purple and gold for the foreseeable future.
Time will tell if the Lakers add another piece alongside Hachimura. For now, the talented forward should be one of the top rotation players moving forward.
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