"Very good for the Lakers” - Draymond Green hails Los Angeles Lakers for acquiring Rui Hachimura amid playoff quest
Draymond Green, Rui Hachimura
© Darren Yamashita, Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Draymond Green recently applauded the Lakers for acquiring Rui Hachimura from Washington Wizards. The four-time NBA Champions elaborated on how the purple and gold traded the right piece whilst acquiring a guy who can potentially help them salvage their season.
“As of right now, as it stands, the Lakers won the trade - for the right now," Green said. #Why do I think that? Because the Lakers kind of has a logjam right there in the PG (point guard) spot with Dennis (Schroder), Patrick (Beverley), and it just wasn't working out for Kendrick Nunn... then obviously, you have Russell Westbrook."
“The Rui trade is very good for the Lakers because any time you can get length and athleticism, it's always helpful. Rui can defend multiple positions, and Rui can stretch the floor and knock the three down," Draymond added.
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How can Rui Hachimura be an asset for LA Lakers?
The 24-year-old hasn’t had a consistent run in Washington—the four-year forward only appeared in 177 games for the Wizards. However, things have seemingly improved in the 2022-23 season.
In 30 regular season appearances, Hachimura is averaging 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks. As Draymond rightly mentioned, not only can Rui play a role of a rim protector, but he can even fill the shooting voids for Darvin Ham’s team— Hachimura has been shooting at an efficient 48.8% from the field this season.
Moreover, with LA Lakers having multiple point guards at their disposal, adding a big man like Hahimura by sacrificing Kendrick Nunn and holding onto their desired first-round picks was a good move for the NBA's most storied franchise.
How has Draymond Green played for the Warriors in the 2022-23 season?
Things haven’t gone according to plans for the defending champions. Draymond's numbers in the 2022-23 season indicate the same thing—the 32-year-old is averaging just 8.0 points, 0.9 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 7.2 rebounds for the Warriors.
These are subpar stats for a guy regarded as the third most important player on the team. The same can be said about the Warriors' performance coming off their fourth NBA title in eight seasons.
Hopefully, Draymond can return to his old self and help right the Warriors' ship before it's too late. The same goes for LA Lakers, who have finally improved their roster as they continue their quest for the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
