Rui Hachimura

[pcbothwel]

I'm thrilled with what I'm seeing so far. Put simply, the kid already belongs out there. He's a legit rotation forward in the NBA right freaking now. Physically, he is totally fine at power forward and he is even attempting to bully smaller guys on switches and go at slower power forward that he doesn't think can guard him. I really liked seeing his confidence grow already. In the 4th quarter of the OKC game, he knew Gallo couldn't guard him so he started looking for his shot.

He is getting his shot blocked from behind fairly often by help-defending wings after beating his own man. Rui will have to adapt to the speed and skill of NBA players and get a better sense when to pump fake and when to lead with a forearm (to get the foul instead of a block), but that will surely come in time. Other than that, he's just a 3-ball away from being quite good rather than "fine".

Defensively, he has been rock solid. No complaints there.

Whats most exciting is how this will/could effect the entire team moving forward. Part of the hope of Wall maturing into a lower volume/higher efficiency player in the back half of his career is having a player that can fill that void. I have tremendous hope for Troy Brown, but I dont think he'll every be able to take over as a scorer the way Rui can.

If Rui can truly become a legit 2nd scorer, then Wall can settle in as the 3rd scorer and focus on defense and creating while Brown can become the jack of all trades 4th piece.... and that doesnt even factoring in Bryant who, for all his faults defensively, can simply light you up with a 20/10 night.

Very exciting and firmly believe we are back in the playoffs next year while also adding another top 8 pick this year.

[nate33]

I came across this, this morning:

But there is translating quickly to the NBA and then there is what Hachimura has done through two games. He had 14 points and 10 rebounds in his debut on Wednesday and then 19 points and five boards against the Thunder on Friday.

Sure, those aren't All-Star numbers, but consider just how hard it is to both score and rebound right away in the NBA. He is just the fifth player in the last 10 years to have at least 30 points and 15 rebounds through two games and just the ninth player in the last 20 years.

The list of players who had 30 and 15 through two games is good company to be in. It's players like LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns, Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin and Lauri Markkanen.

Hachimura's 33 points are tied for the fourth-most by any rookie through two games in Wizards/Bullets franchise history. The only three ahead of him are Walt Bellamy (58), John Wall (42) and Earl Monroe (38). Bellamy and Monroe are Hall of Famers and Wall has made five All-Star teams.

[dckingsfan]

So, I actually went to the Dallas game. He played pretty well. What I saw on the defensive end was a very nice job boxing out and staying in front of his person (with the exception of when switches put him on Doncic (that wasn't pretty).

On the offensive end he was fine except when he tried to force things (he had three shots swatted). He also bricked his 3 point shots.

But I came away with - he is strong enough and quick enough now to play. He seems smart (no stupid passes) and I think he is going to figure out when and how to score inside without repeatedly getting stuffed. His 3 point shoot looks good even though it isn't yet effective (clearly).

One thing I didn't like - he really likes mid-range jumpers and he doesn't pass well (yet) out of the double team.

[JWizmentality]

From what I'm seeing he's getting the bulk of his points from bully ball in the paint and his shot hasn't been consistent so far. I really hoping we didn't mess up his mechanics.

[payitforward]

I came across this, this morning:

But there is translating quickly to the NBA and then there is what Hachimura has done through two games. He had 14 points and 10 rebounds in his debut on Wednesday and then 19 points and five boards against the Thunder on Friday.

Sure, those aren't All-Star numbers, but consider just how hard it is to both score and rebound right away in the NBA. He is just the fifth player in the last 10 years to have at least 30 points and 15 rebounds through two games and just the ninth player in the last 20 years.

The list of players who had 30 and 15 through two games is good company to be in. It's players like LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns, Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin and Lauri Markkanen.

Hachimura's 33 points are tied for the fourth-most by any rookie through two games in Wizards/Bullets franchise history. The only three ahead of him are Walt Bellamy (58), John Wall (42) and Earl Monroe (38). Bellamy and Monroe are Hall of Famers and Wall has made five All-Star teams.

Yep -- & having another good game tonight!

[prime1time]

From what I'm seeing he's getting the bulk of his points from bully ball in the paint and his shot hasn't been consistent so far. I really hoping we didn't mess up his mechanics.

It's 3 games. He went 4-9 from 3 in pre-season. Give it time.

[FAH1223]

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Spurs wanted to draft Rui, right?

[JWizmentality]

Read on Twitter

Spurs wanted to draft Rui, right?

Oh yeah. Pops had a huge Rui boner.

[Dark Faze]

I'm surprised by how well he hits the boards and how strong he is inside. Imagine him with a few years of bulking up. He's got an average SF body right now, didn't even really think he was strong enough to defend PF's just yet, but man.

[nate33]

I'm surprised by how well he hits the boards and how strong he is inside. Imagine him with a few years of bulking up. He's got an average SF body right now, didn't even really think he was strong enough to defend PF's just yet, but man.

Nah, he's bigger than most NBA SF's these days. He has the standing reach and weight of a typical PF in the modern NBA. He may not be as strong as Griffin or Millsap, but he is comparable to guys like Rudy Gay, Danillo Gallinari, Marcus Morris, Marvin Williams, Thad Young, etc.

[tontoz]

I'm surprised by how well he hits the boards and how strong he is inside. Imagine him with a few years of bulking up. He's got an average SF body right now, didn't even really think he was strong enough to defend PF's just yet, but man.

Nah, he's bigger than most NBA SF's these days. He has the standing reach and weight of a typical PF in the modern NBA. He may not be as strong as Griffin or Millsap, but he is comparable to guys like Rudy Gay, Danillo Gallinari, Marcus Morris, Marvin Williams, Thad Young, etc.

What is his standing reach? He doesn't show up on the combine list.

[nate33]

I'm surprised by how well he hits the boards and how strong he is inside. Imagine him with a few years of bulking up. He's got an average SF body right now, didn't even really think he was strong enough to defend PF's just yet, but man.

Nah, he's bigger than most NBA SF's these days. He has the standing reach and weight of a typical PF in the modern NBA. He may not be as strong as Griffin or Millsap, but he is comparable to guys like Rudy Gay, Danillo Gallinari, Marcus Morris, Marvin Williams, Thad Young, etc.

What is his standing reach? He doesn't show up on the combine list.

I don't know for sure, but he's 6-8 no shoes with a 7-2 wingspan. In my combine measurement database, there are a total of 38 players in the past 20 years who have had a height of 6-8 and a wingspan of 7-2 (plus or minus 0.5" on both measurements). If you throw out the bottom 6 and top 6 outliers, the other 26 guys in the middle have had a standing reach between 8-10.5" and 9-1" with the median at 8-11.5". Hachimura appears to me to have his arms attached to the torso fairly high; and he isn't getting extra inches of wingspan by having an unusually wide frame like Draymond Green. So I'd say his standing reach is in the middle or higher end of that range - probably at 9'-0" or so.

Notable names on the list include JaMychal Green, Terrence Jones, Reggie Evans, Larry Nance Jr., Richaun Holmes, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer and Al Jefferson, natural PF's, all.

[tontoz]

I thought you actually knew. I would say he certainly looks to have the size for a 4. He also seems like he doesn't mind contact.

[Illmatic12]

I noticed that Rudy Gay actually visibly looked bigger than Rui in last nights game .. taller and broader, with longer arms (and Rui has a very impressive measurables himself) and in his prime was even more explosive.

It made me think, sometimes you forget the kind of specimens these players are .. Gay is a true 6’9 230lbs boasting a 7’3 wingspan, and in his youth had the power and fluidity to play SG/SF/PF. I remember watching him in person when he played for Eastern Tech HS in Baltimore , and it was like seeing one of the aliens from Men In Black.

If you actually look at his measurables and profile on paper he’s probably one of the most impressive wing athletes to ever come out in the draft. Yet you look at his career .. inefficient 18ppg, zero All-Star selections, never averaged more than 6 rebounds.

If Hachimura had the physique of Rudy Gay , combined with his intangibles and work ethic, he would be an All-Star this year as a rookie and would probably make the next 8-10 straight All-Star games.

[Illmatic12]

Does anyone remember the Indiana Pacers F Danny Granger? Though overshadowed in his era he was a hell of a scorer and defender in his day, peaked at 26ppg-5rpg-3apg on 58 TS% (well above league average in 2009) and was a +3 BPM that season.

Watch on YouTube

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/grangda01.html


Unfortunately his body fell apart due to injury by age 28, and the Pacers ultimately transitioned to the Paul George era.


Prime Granger is probably the closest comparison I can think of for Hachimura. He had the perimeter game of an SF, but was tough as nails in the post so you could match him up against PFs as well (nowaday he’d even get some run at small ball 5).

I think he represents a good model for what Rui can be with a 3pt shot. Granger succeeded through his strength, skill and fundamentals as opposed to explosive athleticism like say a Rudy Gay.

[tontoz]

Rudy Gay measured 6'7 at the combine and weight 222. Very similar.

https://stats.nba.com/draft/combine-anthro/?sort=HEIGHT_WO_SHOES&dir=1&SeasonYear=2006-07

He also had a 40" vertical. His problem was that his skills were just ok. He was pretty good, just not good enough to be an All-Star in the west.

Granger didn't have Gay's length and athleticism but had much better skills. Put Grangers skills into Gays body and you would have quite a player.

I doubt Rui will become as effective on the perimeter as Granger. I will be happy if Rui just becomes a good catch and shoot player from 3. Granger could shoot them off the dribble.

[Mojo Amok]

Yeah, I had actually thought about Granger as a Rui comparison, just based on the physical profile, tools, and the fundamental, non-flashy scoring styles. It's actually quite surprising that Granger was able to be so high usage without some sort of significant advantage with either ball skills or athleticism. He just did it based on feel, length, strength, shooting touch and timing, which is similar to what Rui brings.

Granger is a bit of a hard one to peg as a comparison as his career trajectory was meteoric on the upswing before he crashed and burned just as quickly. I think Granger was the only guy in NBA history to increase his PPG by 6 in three consecutive seasons and he's such an outlier with that volume scoring that I wouldn't be confident that Rui could hit anything quite like Granger's best seasons. As a power forward, Rui should at least outperform him on the boards though.

Kawhi as a comparison - as has been thrown around from time to time - definitely feels like much more of a stretch. Kawhi now is more like a bigger, slower Jordan with that elite herky-jerky cat and mouse pull-up game. Rui is obviously a nice midrange shooter, but he doesn't do it off of an 8-second probe or anything that.

At the time that Granger occurred to me, I was also thinking that Thomas Bryant reminded of Sam Perkins, just based on how he moves and his body type.

Unfortunately, there is not that much high-resolution footage of even granger's career, much less Perkins'.

[dangermouse]

Yeah, I had actually thought about Granger as a Rui comparison, just based on the physical profile, tools, and the fundamental, non-flashy scoring styles. It's actually quite surprising that Granger was able to be so high usage without some sort of significant advantage with either ball skills or athleticism. He just did it based on feel, length, strength, shooting touch and timing, which is similar to what Rui brings.

Granger is a bit of a hard one to peg as a comparison as his career trajectory was meteoric on the upswing before he crashed and burned just as quickly. I think Granger was the only guy in NBA history to increase his PPG by 6 in three consecutive seasons and he's such an outlier with that volume scoring that I wouldn't be confident that Rui could hit anything quite like Granger's best seasons. As a power forward, Rui should at least outperform him on the boards though.

Kawhi as a comparison - as has been thrown around from time to time - definitely feels like much more of a stretch. Kawhi now is more like a bigger, slower Jordan with that elite herky-jerky cat and mouse pull-up game. Rui is obviously a nice midrange shooter, but he doesn't do it off of an 8-second probe or anything that.

At the time that Granger occurred to me, I was also thinking that Thomas Bryant reminded of Sam Perkins, just based on how he moves and his body type.

Unfortunately, there is not that much high-resolution footage of even granger's career, much less Perkins'.

Veering off topic, but I'm glad im reading someone else comparing Kawhi to Jordan. Watching him in his last season with the Spurs I couldnt help but see Jordan when I watched Kawhi play, on both ends of the ball. Just play style, not saying the talent levels are the same. But really it probably isnt a HUGE gap between them...

[WallToWall]

I am going out on a limb... Hachimura will be ROY.

[I_Like_Dirt]

Veering off topic, but I'm glad im reading someone else comparing Kawhi to Jordan. Watching him in his last season with the Spurs I couldnt help but see Jordan when I watched Kawhi play, on both ends of the ball. Just play style, not saying the talent levels are the same. But really it probably isnt a HUGE gap between them...

I'm not even sure there's a talent gap at all. I think it's more of an endurance gap. Jordan just kept going and going. Kawhi needs to pace himself and pick his spots or his body starts failing him. Kawhi at his peak is absolutely unreal. Jordan coasted at times, too, but it was never to the point where his body was going to fall apart if he didn't and all it would take was someone to do something he perceived as a slight and he'd turn it on in an instant. To Kawhi's credit, he seems to have identified his physical limits and is careful to manage them so that he's likely to be ready to go when things actually matter, too.