Rui Hachimura 2.0

[Kanyewest]

Rui was bullying Mikal Bridges in the paint.

[gambitx777]

They didn't want him and he said I'll show you. Also the fact that those details leaked. Borderline tampering and honestly armature hour. I hope Timmy doesn't even answer the phone for the suns the rest of the season.

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[Dolevi]

Bro got angry because of the trade news

[9 and 20]

Not hating on the guy, esp with the great game he just had. But I'd like to see it for a bit longer than 5 minutes at a time with no more weird injury situations before Im ready to say that Rui has arrived.

[Dat2U]

Mike Scott's career high was 30 pts too.

We know Rui can score. But can he do so efficiently on a consistent basis and provide enough of the other facets of the game to be more than one dimensional and stay on the floor?

Talking like you've been right on Rui this whole time because of two good games is crazy! He's clearly been a significantly poor perfomer his entire career. I'm glad he's motivated since the Wizards were ready to dump him for a 4 month rental that hadn't played all year and Phoenix wanted no parts of him. He'll be 25 soon and looking for a significant pay day, its gotta be more than just a flash here or there.

[gambitx777]

Mike Scott's career high was 30 pts too.

We know Rui can score. But can he do so efficiently on a consistent basis and provide enough of the other facets of the game to be more than one dimensional and stay on the floor?

Talking like you've been right on Rui this whole time because of two good games is crazy! He's clearly been a significantly poor perfomer his entire career. I'm glad he's motivated since the Wizards were ready to dump him for a 4 month rental that hadn't played all year and Phoenix wanted no parts of him. He'll be 25 soon and looking for a significant pay day, its gotta be more than just a flash here or there.

It's the fact that the bench fell apart with out him. He had been playing well in spurts all year. Not this well but we'll. I don't really know how much I believe those reports either. Seems fishy, that trade isn't even a doable trade with the wizards this close to the tax. Something's being left out. Also I agree Rui has got to stay healthy!

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[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Mike Scott's career high was 30 pts too.

We know Rui can score. But can he do so efficiently on a consistent basis and provide enough of the other facets of the game to be more than one dimensional and stay on the floor?

Talking like you've been right on Rui this whole time because of two good games is crazy! He's clearly been a significantly poor perfomer his entire career. I'm glad he's motivated since the Wizards were ready to dump him for a 4 month rental that hadn't played all year and Phoenix wanted no parts of him. He'll be 25 soon and looking for a significant pay day, its gotta be more than just a flash here or there.

Kuzma and Rui playing fear of God good contract year basketball. Both have me believing the hype. History is with Dat2U. Most likely they are who they have always been.

Me? I’d say wait and see the next 30 days.

They both are playing their best. Might simply need to keep the team together this one time.

[nate33]

Who you guys taking Rui, Derrick Jones or Daniel House?

I can't wait for posters to double down on their bad takes because they can't admit they were wrong. Btw, for all the people who say that removing Hachimura from team is addition via substraction...

Read on Twitter

It's worth pointing out that in 7 of those 13 losses without Rui, we were also missing Beal. I'd say the absence of Rui hurts when Beal isn't around, because we really lack scoring. But if Beal plays, the absence of Rui hasn't been that significant of a factor.

[JWizmentality]

Who you guys taking Rui, Derrick Jones or Daniel House?

I can't wait for posters to double down on their bad takes because they can't admit they were wrong. Btw, for all the people who say that removing Hachimura from team is addition via substraction...

Read on Twitter

It's worth pointing out that in 7 of those 13 losses without Rui, we were also missing Beal. I'd say the absence of Rui hurts when Beal isn't around, because we really lack scoring. But if Beal plays, the absence of Rui hasn't been that significant of a factor.

But we also know historically Beal being absent hasn't affected our record much at all. We tend to play better without him.

[nate33]

Who you guys taking Rui, Derrick Jones or Daniel House?

I can't wait for posters to double down on their bad takes because they can't admit they were wrong. Btw, for all the people who say that removing Hachimura from team is addition via substraction...

Read on Twitter

It's worth pointing out that in 7 of those 13 losses without Rui, we were also missing Beal. I'd say the absence of Rui hurts when Beal isn't around, because we really lack scoring. But if Beal plays, the absence of Rui hasn't been that significant of a factor.

But we also know historically Beal being absent hasn't affected our record much at all. We tend to play better without him.

That was only true during the first half of last season when Dinwiddie would ball out every game that Beal missed. It did not prove to be true over the 2nd half of the season after Beal had the wrist injury. The Wizards finished 12-20 without Beal. (They were 23-27 before Beal went down.)

Likewise, in the year before, the Wizards were terrible without Beal, going 2-10. They were 32-28 with him.

[DCZards]

Regardless of his shortcomings, Rui has shown that he can get buckets. And he’s scoring in a variety of ways…midrange, 3 ball, attacking the basket.

At one point earlier in the season, Rui was the NBA’s second leading bench scorer.

[WallToWall]

This is what Rui is capable of doing. He has shown these “flashes” in the past, maybe in smaller outbursts. This is just one game. He has to make it a pattern before we can say that he has transformed himself into *that* player. I’m pulling for him.

[nate33]

This is what Rui is capable of doing. He has shown these “flashes” in the past, maybe in smaller outbursts. This is just one game. He has to make it a pattern before we can say that he has transformed himself into *that* player. I’m pulling for him.

Well, it's been 4 games now where he has averaged 18 points with a TS% of .754. But your point is well-taken. Let's not put him in the All-Star Game just yet. Rui has shown flashes before.

What's a bit more encouraging is that his recent efficiency has not been dependent on unsustainably hot 3-point shooting. (He is shooting just 33% from 3 on just 3 attempts per game during this 4-game stretch.) Instead, he is just getting to the rim a lot more, and he is doing a much better job of getting separation to set up his midrange shot with his feet under him, instead of resorting to wild fadeaways that typically fall short.

[Ruzious]

He is what we thought he'd be coming out of Gonzaga - an effective NBA scorer - averaging 19.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per 36 minutes -with a solid TS% of 58.8%. He's just not intuitive in other areas of the game. But if you surround him with other players who focus on defense and getting him the ball, he can be very effective. If you don't, you'll lose ugly. Players like Delon Wright make everything better.

[payitforward]

Rui had an absolutely great game vs. Phoenix. Overall had to be the best game of his career. He also had quite a good outing against Sac'to.

But, we have to judge Rui -- as we would any other player! -- by his numbers over a longer stretch than 2 games.

We have to judge Rui based on his work over this whole season. If what we see isn't good overall -- &, in Rui's case, the numbers are not good overall -- then we can look into his whole career & see whether those numbers overall, or even the overall numbers of any single season, are significantly better than this year overall.

Of course, we can then turn around and flat out lie about those numbers, whether intentionally or b/c of misunderstanding them. In that case, for example, we could say that "Rui is a good scorer," as tleikheen does repeatedly.

Only... that's not what the numbers overall this year say, is it? Nor is it what the numbers overall on his career say. Nor the numbers from any previous season. His absolutely best scoring season was last year when he was just about average. But neither last year nor any other year has he ever approached average level of performance overall.

That said, he knocked it out of the park vs. the Suns! That's for sure! & if he keeps playing great -- a big "if" of course -- that'll be great.

[DCZards]

He is what we thought he'd be coming out of Gonzaga - an effective NBA scorer - averaging 19.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per 36 minutes -with a solid TS% of 58.8%. He's just not intuitive in other areas of the game. But if you surround him with other players who focus on defense and getting him the ball, he can be very effective. If you don't, you'll lose ugly. Players like Delon Wright make everything better.

Typically, only the top players in the NBA are above average at more than one or two things. So, as you say, you surround players with players who complement their skillsets...or make up for their weaknesses.

That's how “teams” are built...by taking what players do best (scoring in the case of Rui) and teaming them with players who do other things that complement their skillset…or makes up for the areas in which they are weak. You'd like for all of the players on your favorite team to be above average--or at least average--at all facets of the game, but that simply is not the reality in most instances.

I don’t expect Rui to ever be an above average rebounder, or a plus passer or shotblocker, but I do expect him to be able to score in the NBA…and to get better and better at it. Given that the team that scores the most points is the one that wins, being able to score, especially if you can do it efficiently, is an important strength.

[payitforward]

As to misrepresenting Rui's performance, the champ is tleikheen, whose main method seems to be to look away from the facts & simply issue pronouncements. So, let me ask him directly about Rui's performance. But, let's start with a question that he'll like answering. What do you think, tleikheen:

This year, for a PF, Rui is committing only about 60% as many fouls as average.
Is that good? Or is it bad?

I'm guessing the answer is, "that's good."
For sure that's what I think the answer should be. Don't you agree?

These two ought to be straightforward as well:

This year, for a PF, Rui is rebounding at just about an average rate. He's also turning the ball over at an average rate.
In both cases, is that good? Or is it bad? Or is it neither particularly good nor nor particularly bad?

I'm guessing that in both cases the answer is, "neither good nor bad."
For sure that's what I think the answer should be. Don't you agree.

Any problems answering those questions? Didn't think so. How about these:

This year, for a PF, Rui blocks @ 88% as many shots as average.
Is that good? Or is it bad?

This year, for a PF, Rui logs 60% as many assists as average.
Is that good? Or is it bad?

This year, for a PF, Rui logs @ 62% as many steals as average.
Is that good? Or is it bad?

To me, if "fewer fouls" gets the answer "good," then these have to get the answer "bad," don't you think? If the low blocks are close enough not to make a big deal of, I'd still say that the very low assists & steals surely warrants the word -- or aren't we allowed to use that word about anything in Rui's performance?

How about these?

This year, for a PF, Rui is shooting a below-average 2pt FG%.
This year, for a PF, Rui is shooting a below-average 3pt FG%.
This year, for a PF, Rui is shooting a below-average FT%.

Is all of that good?
Or doesn't it matter really? I.e. who cares?

Or is it bad?
Seems obvious that it's bad.

So, given all the above, please explain what makes Rui a good player?
Remember, his overall numbers -- whatever they are -- include the great performance vs. the Suns & the good outing against the Kings.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

He is what we thought he'd be coming out of Gonzaga - an effective NBA scorer - averaging 19.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per 36 minutes -with a solid TS% of 58.8%. He's just not intuitive in other areas of the game. But if you surround him with other players who focus on defense and getting him the ball, he can be very effective. If you don't, you'll lose ugly. Players like Delon Wright make everything better.

This.

Sign that kid ASAP, because you have Wright, Advija, KP and Gafford at the rim, Goodwin, Gibson, and both Kispert and Beal willing to try and defend.

Rui is a beastly scorer. He’s sneaky nasty. He LIKES contact. Dude has a mean as hell under the nice guy look. He’s innocent and polite…NOW. He’s going to become ornery as a scorer. He’s starting to sort of get a clue on defense. He’s a scorer. He gets juiced to try on defense once he gets a bucket.

Deni as someone else pointed out is OPPOSITE but they mesh well. Rui plays really well with Kuzma. Rui and Wright off the bench are real upgrades.

deneem has been right about Rui. Not me. I recall posting trade Rui and Kuzma to ATL for Collins and scraps. I was WRONG.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

As to misrepresenting Rui's performance, the champ is tleikheen, whose main method seems to be to look away from the facts & simply issue pronouncements. So, let me ask him directly about Rui's performance. But, let's start with a question that he'll like answering. What do you think, tleikheen:

This year, for a PF, Rui is committing only about 60% as many fouls as average.
Is that good? Or is it bad?

I'm guessing the answer is, "that's good."
For sure that's what I think the answer should be. Don't you agree?

These two ought to be straightforward as well:

This year, for a PF, Rui is rebounding at just about an average rate. He's also turning the ball over at an average rate.
In both cases, is that good? Or is it bad? Or is it neither particularly good nor nor particularly bad?

I'm guessing that in both cases the answer is, "neither good nor bad."
For sure that's what I think the answer should be. Don't you agree.

Any problems answering those questions? Didn't think so. How about these:

This year, for a PF, Rui blocks @ 88% as many shots as average.
Is that good? Or is it bad?

This year, for a PF, Rui logs 60% as many assists as average.
Is that good? Or is it bad?

This year, for a PF, Rui logs @ 62% as many steals as average.
Is that good? Or is it bad?

To me, if "fewer fouls" gets the answer "good," then these have to get the answer "bad," don't you think? If the low blocks are close enough not to make a big deal of, I'd still say that the very low assists & steals surely warrants the word -- or aren't we allowed to use that word about anything in Rui's performance?

How about these?

This year, for a PF, Rui is shooting a below-average 2pt FG%.
This year, for a PF, Rui is shooting a below-average 3pt FG%.
This year, for a PF, Rui is shooting a below-average FT%.

Is all of that good?
Or doesn't it matter really? I.e. who cares?

Or is it bad?
Seems obvious that it's bad.

So, given all the above, please explain what makes Rui a good player?
Remember, his overall numbers -- whatever they are -- include the great performance vs. the Suns & the good outing against the Kings.

I’m going to look at his monthly splits.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hachiru01.html

His efficiency is up. Rebounds might be better as well.

The eye test has me right now, BUT MY HEAD TRUSTS YOU AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS over time.

[tleikheen]

But, we have to judge Rui -- as we would any other player! -- by his numbers over a longer stretch than 2 games.

What a Rui hater ...... he has made 88/1774 (48 percent),141/395 (36 percent.3pt) ,319/409 (FT) as an NBA player. You must think its easy to be a forward and come in the NBA and make baskets easily. Guaranteed this is more than a 2 game stretch. This is a 24 yr old player doing what he's been doing since he got in the NBA,score baskets efficiently. We know why Rui gets so much hate here with all the dog whistles and talk about his intelligence . He has to do better to get the recognition others get for less production.