Lakers News: Rui Hachimura Is The Best NBA Player In This Defensive Category

The newest LA roster addition could have some upside.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, for whom the team traded three second-round draft picks and the expiring contract of lackluster point guard Kendrick Nunn, had a solid first game for LA on Wednesday against the visiting San Antonio Spurs, a 113-104 Lakers victory.

For his debut game as a Laker, Hachimura suited up for 21:31. He scored 12 points while shooting 4-of-7 from the floor and 3-of-6 from the charity stripe.

Now, some interesting information about his defensive acumen has come to light, courtesy of The Lead. At 6'8" with a 7'2" wingspan, the athletic Gonzaga product has the tools to at least be a solid defender, but he has proven to be relatively unidimensional thus far in his brief NBA career: he's a scorer first, and is especially effective off of catch-and-shoot looks.

But apparently, that defensive upside has already been paying off: opposing players shoot just 36.9% from the floor when Hachimura is the closest defender.

This season, opposing players are shooting just 36.9% with Rui Hachimura as the closest defender.

According to https://t.co/tLn6PVg0qE, that’s the best mark in the league among qualified players 😳 pic.twitter.com/XzVKsEUcet

— The Lead (@TheLeadSM) January 26, 2023

Even if he winds up just being a shooter (for his career, he's nailing a decent 35.5% of his 2.5 triple tries a night), Hachimura still helps balance LA's roster, and was well worth the investment. But the 24-year-old has been in a very unstable situation with the Washington Wizards, and is now playing alongside his two best teammates ever in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. There's a chance he has room to grow on both ends of the court.

MORE LAKERS NEWS:

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LA Interested In Trading For Scoring Guard Who Is A Favorite Player Of LeBron James

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