Getty Rui Hachimura #21 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs, who looks to be a good fit in the NBA draft for the Lakers.
After experiencing a breakout junior year at Gonzaga, Rui Hachimura moved himself up from a late first round pick into the top of the NBA lottery across almost all mock drafts. A powerful forward with good size and excellent athleticism, Hachimura already looks the part of a sturdy NBA wing. The Lakers do have depth at the wing already but should Hachimura fall down a bit to the Lakers, it would be tough for the purple and gold to turn down such a promising player.
While he needs to find increased consistency as he steps up his volume from deep, he projects to be, at the least, a respectable outside shooter. Hachimura has already shown the ability to make major year over year improvements at the college level and has given no reason to think that the trend won’t continue in the NBA.
Although he isn’t an immediate “plug and play” guy, he could grow into a reliable supporting member during his rookie year before breaking out in year two or three. It took Hachimura a bit to catch up to the college game and he will likely face a similar curve at the professional level. That said, look out for him to be an absolute force in the NBA a few years down the road.
Lakers NBA Draft Targets: Rui Hachimura
A big, sturdy forward with an excellent wingspan, Hachimura looks the part of an ideal NBA forward. With an excellent scoring touch around the basket and a rapidly improving outside shot, Hachimura has cemented himself as one of the best prospects in the country. Averaging 19.7 points per game to go with 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists, Hachimura did a little bit of everything for the Bulldogs. While he functioned mostly as a primary scorer, Hachimura showed off some nice passing IQ and a capability to hit the boards hard during his breakout Junior season at Gonzaga.
While he mostly plays power forward, Hachimura can easily slide down to the small forward position. His versatility should come in handy at the NBA level, especially for a team like the Lakers. Building what looks to be a positionless roster to fill out around LeBron James, Hachimura’s lineup flexibility would come in handy filling in at either forward spot off the bench.
Rui Hachimura Among Best Fits for Lakers
Following a big spike in his three-point shooting, Hachimura shot up draft boards and firmly planted himself in the conversation for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are in desperate need of outside shooting, an area that Hachimura should be able to contribute immediately. While he didn’t take a very high amount of three-pointers, he knocked them down at over a 40% clip in his last year at Gonzaga and showed that if given space, he can and will pull the trigger.
While the Lakers are already running out a stretch four in Kyle Kuzma, this past season showed that you simply cannot have enough depth and adding Hachimura to a loaded roster of forwards including Kuzma, LeBron James, and Brandon Ingram should give him the opportunity to ease into the NBA and learn from one of the greatest players of all time.
While the Lakers will most likely be looking to go with either a guard or big man with their pick, Hachimura looks to be an ideal fit in the modern NBA and could blossom into a very good player down the road – think Tobias Harris-esque. There are certainly far worse options to go with at the 10th or 11th spot in the draft and should Hachimura still be on the board for the Lakers, he is without a doubt worth some serious consideration.