Rui Hachimura Seemingly Takes A Shot At Lakers’ Inability To Beat Nuggets: “They Know Exactly What We Do”

Rui Hachimura didn't seem very convinced about the Lakers finding a way to win the tactical battle against the Nuggets.

4 Min Read

Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

The Lakers have lost their last five playoff games and four regular-season games over the last two seasons to the Nuggets. Ahead of Game 2 of their 2024 matchup, Rui Hachimura spoke candidly about the matchup this year, seemingly taking shots at his own team’s preparation and inability to win a game.  

“They watch us a lot. We’ve played them so many times in the last year, they know what we exactly do. We’ve got to do well as a team defense, they don’t give us many options… I think we gotta play together more, I got to be more active, sharing the ball, and all that. I think that’s going to help us this year.”

Hachimura put up seven points on four attempts in the Game 1 loss, being one of the primary defenders on Nikola Jokic for the night. That went as well as expected, with Jokic dominating the contest and not being affected by Hachimura’s defense in the slightest.

Rui averaged 13.6 points and 4.3 rebounds this season. He has earned a bigger role in the Lakers rotations, but there isn’t any skill set he could deploy that would be a difference-maker either. We can look for umpteen reasons as to why the Lakers struggle against the Nuggets, but the simplest one is that they’re just not good enough.


Darvin Ham Admitted He Doesn’t Know How To Guard Jokic

There is a sense of tactical panic in the Lakers’ locker room. The Lakers know that the Nuggets will punish subpar play by their players, but there aren’t any tactical geniuses in the locker room to help figure out what they need to do. 

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has been under fire for most of the season and openly told the world that he has no clue how to scheme against Jokic.

“It’s like sh*t, I don’t know what to do. You just gotta go out there and try to be as disciplined as possible, aggressive, and consistent. And have a next-play mentality, man. … Kid is a generational-type player.”

To be fair, many coaches around the NBA don’t have a clue how to stop Jokic from impacting a game. If he isn’t scoring, he’s diming or grabbing boards, so to remove him from in-game action is not easy. It’s only specific defensive schemes with switchy and lanky defenders that could bother Jokic, as he’s strong enough to post up almost every player in the NBA.

According to Jovan Buha, Ham also said that he was saving adjustments against Jokic for later in the series to ensure the Serbian seven-footer couldn’t decode it early.

Jokic put up 32 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in Game 1, and averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds. and 9.0 assists this season. He’s widely expected to pick up his third MVP trophy win in four seasons while being a prohibitive favorite to win Finals MVP if the Nuggets make it back to the Conference Finals.

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

Share This Article
Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *