Rui Hachimura 2.0

[doclinkin]

One thing I have noticed with Rui is that his teammates now give him direction on the court. Particularly Kispert, which makes perfect sense, he will nudge Rui in the right direction or point to where he is supposed to be, and Rui instantly adjusts. Kuzma too has taken on a leadership role in this regard. It's good to see. He's a dangerous chess piece when used correctly. Chemistry and communication between teammates has helped him more than most. Getting repetitions while doing it the right way builds the right kind of muscle memory and ability to anticipate where to be, when.

[nate33]

Is it too early to say Rui is better than Kyle?

One thing we can't forget is that Rui is doing this while coming off the bench. He is playing against inferior defenders and against a scouting report that makes him a low priority. Kuzma is doing his thing as a starter and as one of the foci of the opposition's defense.

Rui plays best when the game is simplified for him. We need to see how he reacts when defenses adjust to him. He has always struggled when forced to make quick decisions.

[prime1time]

Is it too early to say Rui is better than Kyle?

One thing we can't forget is that Rui is doing this while coming off the bench. He is playing against inferior defenders and against a scouting report that makes him a low priority. Kuzma is doing his thing as a starter and as one of the foci of the opposition's defense.

Rui plays best when the game is simplified for him. We need to see how he reacts when defenses adjust to him. He has always struggled when forced to make quick decisions.

The mental hurdles this board makes to discount Hachimura’s success never ceases to amaze. Hachimura comes off the bench, correct, but Kuzma plays large amounts of minutes with Porzingis and Beal. Kuzma as the foci of the oppositions defense doesn’t make sense. He’s not a player that you can run the offense through.

If Hachimura keeps on playing like he’s playing, he will be ahead of Kuzma on the opposing teams scouting report.

https://sports.yahoo.com/rui-hachimura-verge-breakout-season-045000062.html

Hachimura is playing so well that opposing teams are moving him up the scouting report. He's changing the way the rest of the league views him, as Suns head coach Monty Williams explained last week.

"I think from the jump you felt like he was a guy that could score the ball. It seems like he has more confidence shooting threes now. Before, it was more midrange, in my opinion, playing the post. He seems to have more confidence to stretch it [with his three]," Williams said.

"I always thought he was a one-dribble pull-up guy. Now he can put it down for more than one dribble. He's a big, strong kid. If you don't have a sizable guy to guard him, he can bury you. So, I think he's going to be a guy that can draw double teams against smaller guys. That's always an advantage for a team."

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I think Rui is better but I also love when they both are on the court together.

[prime1time]

No one is double teaming Kuzma, period. He’s not a good enough shooter to stretch the floor and he’s a player who needs the ball in his Hans. With Porzingis and Beal, he looks better than he is because both of those guys can play off ball. But he’s not gong to be worth 25 million. Some ram is going to pay him a lot of money because they’ll believe that he’s the missing piece. I’d much rather have Rui at 15 million than Kuzma at 25 million.

[prime1time]

People need to stop trotting out old analyses of Rui. Actually evaluate the guy who’s shooting 52.4% from the field and teams don’t have an answer for.

[Dat2U]

Rui fans appear to be incredibly sensitive.

[Kanyewest]

A redraft of the 2019 draft published on 12/9/22 ft. Kevin Broom. https://www.bulletsforever.com/2022/12/12/23504179/2019-nba-draft-redraft-tyler-herro-wizards-rui-hachimura-bol-bol-zion-williamson-ja-morant

[prime1time]

Rui fans appear to be incredibly sensitive.

Call me a Rui supporter, call me sensitive, call me whatever you want (the mere fact that you resort to ad hominem attacks shows the hollowness of your arguments). I admit when I’m wrong and my views change as more data comes in. This board has the potential to be a place where great and insightful basketball conversations take place. But far too often conversations are sabotaged by the male ego and the need to be right. Posters would rather argue delusional points that are clearly wrong than admit that they are right.

You can make it about being a Rui supporter but, the real truth is that I have a very deep frustration with the level of anti-intellectual thought that runs through this board. The real sensitive posters are the ones who hate on Hachimura since the day he was drafted because he wasn’t there ideal draft pick and insist on sabotaging any attempt for genuine analysis or discussion.

[daSwami]

A redraft of the 2019 draft published on 12/9/22 ft. Kevin Broom. https://www.bulletsforever.com/2022/12/12/23504179/2019-nba-draft-redraft-tyler-herro-wizards-rui-hachimura-bol-bol-zion-williamson-ja-morant

I will soon be posting a re-draft of Kev's re-draft that will blow your mind.

[gambitx777]

It is absolutely bull that he has Rui that low. Jaxspn Hayes? For **** sakes the dudes almost go one foot in a Chinese league locker room as it is.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

[doclinkin]

Posters would rather argue delusional points that are clearly wrong than admit that they are right.

What do you mean? I commonly admit that I'm right.

I will say it is possible that not everyone who disagrees with you is a disingenuous anti-intellectual intent on sabotaging your lack of male ego simply because they are haters. Could be we each have strong opinions and tend to express them. Or think the facts are on our side. I often learn from people I disagree with on here, whether they inform me of something or if my counterargument requires me to dig a little deeper into the stats and news stories. If we all agreed with each other this place would be pretty boring. If there wasn't an interest in some competitive back-and-forth I dunno, why are we even watching sports. Seems to me conflict equals drama. So folks interested in a competitive sport might be the sort of people who enjoy mixing it up a little bit in a realm where they have a little smidgen of knowledge and expertise. That said I do see attempts at real analysis in the arguments. Even if we approach it from different angles or reach different results.

Here, just so you know I have been listening. You believe Rui has a role as an efficient scorer off the bench, whatever his other shortcomings may be. That this is a critical role in the game, and is why we have had a '6th man' designation in the lexicon. (Back to Havlicek who created the role, or Microwave Vinnie Johnson, Manu Ginobili, Lou Williams, Jamal Crawford, etc). I think Rui has been making a strong argument for you in the last stretch of games. The counter argument has been that he has been sucking less at other key aspects of the game.

Where I think I do agree with you is that we are better off signing and developing Rui than overpaying for what Kuzma brings to the table, even if I think that it is a reasonable debate to argue which of the two is more valuable to team success right now. I even agree that it makes sense to re-ink Rui rather than try to trade him for value or let him go. This team is starved of assets such that I'm willing to gamble that this recent hot streak may be part of a player maturing into a complete game, vs the continuation of a trend where Rui has improved and backslid from year to year and stat to stat. I also think there is really good synergy in the deficiencies and strengths in the games of both Deni and Rui, where if they are able to develop chemistry together we could see something special.

Where I don't agree is that anyone is a hater if they question the usefulness of what Rui has added to the team in his career so far. Or if they think he can and ought to do more and be better in some basic ways.

[nate33]

My only point is that scoring with efficiency coming off the bench is not the same thing as scoring with efficiency as a starter. It's certainly possible that Rui has turned the corner and may be an efficient starting caliber scorer. But it's also possible that a scouting report will throw defensive wrinkles at Rui that may cause him to take ill-advised lower efficiency shots, or turn the ball over. We shall see.

I'm hoping for the best. I'm real excited with how Rui has been playing lately.

[payitforward]

Rui fans appear to be incredibly sensitive.

Call me a Rui supporter, call me sensitive, call me whatever you want (the mere fact that you resort to ad hominem attacks shows the hollowness of your arguments). I admit when I’m wrong and my views change as more data comes in. This board has the potential to be a place where great and insightful basketball conversations take place. But far too often conversations are sabotaged by the male ego and the need to be right. Posters would rather argue delusional points that are clearly wrong than admit that they are right.

You can make it about being a Rui supporter but, the real truth is that I have a very deep frustration with the level of anti-intellectual thought that runs through this board. The real sensitive posters are the ones who hate on Hachimura since the day he was drafted because he wasn’t there ideal draft pick and insist on sabotaging any attempt for genuine analysis or discussion.

Hey, prime... it's great, tremendous, incredibly satisfying to see how well Rui is playing. I hope he keeps it up. I hope he gets even better.

To tell the truth, I hope that for every one of these kids -- after all, to an old fart like me that's what they are: kids. & what kind of a person wants a kid to fail?

I didn't think drafting Rui was a good use of our piece of draft capital, the #9 pick. I still don't think it was. But that was an example of "analysis" -- not a judgment on Rui. I've posted that "analysis" so many times since then that I'm not going to repeat it here.

But, that analysis, even if it had been wrong (which it wasn't -- it was correct), wouldn't make me "a hater."

Yet, I believe you've called me exactly that numerous times. & that's despite the fact that, from early in Rui's rookie year, I wrote -- repeatedly! -- that he had "a chance to be an outstanding NBA player."

So, I think you could stand to take a look in the mirror & maybe revise your view that others are being "anti-intellectual."

Better yet -- I hope you'll go for this! -- can we please leave behind the whole "hater" thing?
Everybody/anybody here will be immensely pleased by whatever successes come to Rui -- long-term or short-term, in basketball or any other arena of life.

[Dat2U]

Rui fans appear to be incredibly sensitive.

Call me a Rui supporter, call me sensitive, call me whatever you want (the mere fact that you resort to ad hominem attacks shows the hollowness of your arguments). I admit when I’m wrong and my views change as more data comes in. This board has the potential to be a place where great and insightful basketball conversations take place. But far too often conversations are sabotaged by the male ego and the need to be right. Posters would rather argue delusional points that are clearly wrong than admit that they are right.

You can make it about being a Rui supporter but, the real truth is that I have a very deep frustration with the level of anti-intellectual thought that runs through this board. The real sensitive posters are the ones who hate on Hachimura since the day he was drafted because he wasn’t there ideal draft pick and insist on sabotaging any attempt for genuine analysis or discussion.

Anti-intellectual? Doing verbal gymnastics to prop up an inefficient, poorly performing player is not intellectualism. Its creating your own reality. I'm glad Rui was finally motivated to kick up a notch after the trade rumors but playing well in 4 out of his last 6 games shouldn't start a referendum on how so many here got him wrong.

[JWizmentality]

Rui fans appear to be incredibly sensitive.

Call me a Rui supporter, call me sensitive, call me whatever you want (the mere fact that you resort to ad hominem attacks shows the hollowness of your arguments). I admit when I’m wrong and my views change as more data comes in. This board has the potential to be a place where great and insightful basketball conversations take place. But far too often conversations are sabotaged by the male ego and the need to be right. Posters would rather argue delusional points that are clearly wrong than admit that they are right.

You can make it about being a Rui supporter but, the real truth is that I have a very deep frustration with the level of anti-intellectual thought that runs through this board. The real sensitive posters are the ones who hate on Hachimura since the day he was drafted because he wasn’t there ideal draft pick and insist on sabotaging any attempt for genuine analysis or discussion.

Anti-intellectual? Doing verbal gymnastics to prop up an inefficient, poorly performing player is not intellectualism. Its creating your own reality. I'm glad Rui was finally motivated to kick up a notch after the trade rumors but playing well in 4 out of his last 6 games shouldn't start a referendum on how so many here got him wrong.

The wizboard online GMs who had a hard on for the likes of Sekou Doumbouya and Troy Brown Jr?

[Dark Faze]

I think it's clear he's a benefit to our bench. What's not clear is what that should translate to in terms of yearly salary or if he is a capable starter.

Assuming no trade, let the market for him establish himself in free agency and respond accordingly.

[pancakes3]

De'Andre Hunter signed a 4/90. Hunter got off to a faster start and is significantly better at defense but they're putting up similar numbers now in year 4. I'd expect that to be the FA offer range. Probably could have extended him last off-season for 4/60.

[nate33]

De'Andre Hunter signed a 4/90. Hunter got off to a faster start and is significantly better at defense but they're putting up similar numbers now in year 4. I'd expect that to be the FA offer range. Probably could have extended him last off-season for 4/60.

I don't think any GM in the league considers Rui to be as good as Hunter. Hunter is an excellent defender. Rui, so far, is not.

I think 4/60 is probably a good ball park estimate for Rui, and that's basically because the MLE will be 4/50 so a slightly higher price will be enough to outbid all but a handful of under-the-cap teams. But of course, this is all just speculation. You never know if one crazy GM will put forth an insane offer.

This would all be easier if we weren't so precariously up against the luxtax. Other teams smell blood in the water and recognize that Rui can be poached with just a slightly expensive bid because we can't afford to match.

[prime1time]

Rui fans appear to be incredibly sensitive.

Call me a Rui supporter, call me sensitive, call me whatever you want (the mere fact that you resort to ad hominem attacks shows the hollowness of your arguments). I admit when I’m wrong and my views change as more data comes in. This board has the potential to be a place where great and insightful basketball conversations take place. But far too often conversations are sabotaged by the male ego and the need to be right. Posters would rather argue delusional points that are clearly wrong than admit that they are right.

You can make it about being a Rui supporter but, the real truth is that I have a very deep frustration with the level of anti-intellectual thought that runs through this board. The real sensitive posters are the ones who hate on Hachimura since the day he was drafted because he wasn’t there ideal draft pick and insist on sabotaging any attempt for genuine analysis or discussion.

Anti-intellectual? Doing verbal gymnastics to prop up an inefficient, poorly performing player is not intellectualism. Its creating your own reality. I'm glad Rui was finally motivated to kick up a notch after the trade rumors but playing well in 4 out of his last 6 games shouldn't start a referendum on how so many here got him wrong.

You win