The Los Angeles Lakers have two superstars on their team, but one is way past his physical prime.
Of course, LeBron James isn’t an average human being, and he’s in much better physical shape than most people 20 years younger than him.
Still, this team will need role players to step up night in and night out, particularly early in the season, to make sure that James is fresh for when it matters the most.
Notably, Rui Hachimura was up to the task in the first game of the season.
The Japanese forward scored 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting, adding five boards, one assist, two steals, and one block.
He was aggressive all night and kept driving to the rim.
When asked about that mindset, he admitted that he just wanted to make the most of Julius Randle’s lack of defensive prowess (via Jacob Rude).
Rui Hachimura was pretty, uh, direct in why he was so aggressive on Tuesday.
“We talked about Julius Randle, He sometimes is just standing and stuff. So we talked about, we got to kind of use that. I know I can be the screener. I can be in the corner to kind of attack the rim.”
— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) October 23, 2024
He stated that they had discussed Randle’s laissez-faire style of defense, stating that he’s usually just standing there, so he knew he could have a big game if he served as a screener and attacked the rim off the corner.
That may have sounded like a jab at the former Lakers forward, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
A lack of defensive effort and awareness has always held Randle back, and it was on full display in the season opener.
Hopefully, Hachimura will keep this same mindset even when the matchup isn’t as favorable, as the Lakers are a different team when he’s a factor.