Rui Hachimura

[nate33]

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.

Jordan is a more fluid athlete. He's a bit quicker and more coordinated. Kawhi is a bit mechanical in his movements. That said, Kawhi is a bit bigger and definitely stronger.

[payitforward]

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

So... it's not like you're looking at how any other rookies are playing, right?

Rui looks at home on an NBA court, & in some ways he is playing very well. He's also playing a lot -- only R.J. Barrett has played more minutes than Rui.

Rui looks good for a rookie. His rebounding, while not strong for a 4, has been a surprising positive. OTOH, so far his scoring is a weak point not a strong one: he's posting a TS% of .487, which is absolutely terrible for a front court player. Just awful. &, as we all know, it's caused by one thing alone: Rui is 0-8 on 3-pointers.

The fact that we've had him on the floor 33 minutes a game & been competitive is probably the biggest single plus about Rui so far.

His numbers will change. They don't mean much at this point. One thing they for sure don't mean is that he'll be RoY. He's not putting up RoY numbers to this point -- not by a long shot!

He could get there of course.

[dangermouse]

RJ just had a phenomenal game

Rui should make the all rookie first team though. He has been consistent. Consistently good, but not standout enough for ROY

[prime1time]

Fascinating to read these posts. Let's be honest folks, Rui is just getting started. Just sit back and watch. Dude is a straight-up beast. And he has a fast learning curve. He'll be competing with any rookie for ROY. He has the skill and opportunity. These last 3 games are just run of the mill mundane games for him. Nothing he's done has been exceptional. So just wait until he has an above-average game then you'll start to understand.

[prime1time]

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

So... it's not like you're looking at how any other rookies are playing, right?

Rui looks at home on an NBA court, & in some ways he is playing very well. He's also playing a lot -- only R.J. Barrett has played more minutes than Rui.

Rui looks good for a rookie. His rebounding, while not strong for a 4, has been a surprising positive. OTOH, so far his scoring is a weak point not a strong one: he's posting a TS% of .487, which is absolutely terrible for a front court player. Just awful. &, as we all know, it's caused by one thing alone: Rui is 0-8 on 3-pointers.

The fact that we've had him on the floor 33 minutes a game & been competitive is probably the biggest single plus about Rui so far.

His numbers will change. They don't mean much at this point. One thing they for sure don't mean is that he'll be RoY. He's not putting up RoY numbers to this point -- not by a long shot!

He could get there of course.

So what you're saying is, that we'd be better off not playing him?

[JWizmentality]

God forbid anyone compliment Rui, PIF like a homing beacon is there with the cold water. Lighten up dude. Rui is better than Brandon Clarke. What's Otto up to these days? I was told we'd rue the day we let him walk. Rue I say!!!

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

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

So... it's not like you're looking at how any other rookies are playing, right?

Rui looks at home on an NBA court, & in some ways he is playing very well. He's also playing a lot -- only R.J. Barrett has played more minutes than Rui.

Rui looks good for a rookie. His rebounding, while not strong for a 4, has been a surprising positive. OTOH, so far his scoring is a weak point not a strong one: he's posting a TS% of .487, which is absolutely terrible for a front court player. Just awful. &, as we all know, it's caused by one thing alone: Rui is 0-8 on 3-pointers.

The fact that we've had him on the floor 33 minutes a game & been competitive is probably the biggest single plus about Rui so far.

His numbers will change. They don't mean much at this point. One thing they for sure don't mean is that he'll be RoY. He's not putting up RoY numbers to this point -- not by a long shot!

He could get there of course.

Zion Williamson. Not going on a limb, I think he's going to be ROY.

Sent from my SM-J337T using RealGM mobile app

[pcbothwel]

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

So... it's not like you're looking at how any other rookies are playing, right?

Rui looks at home on an NBA court, & in some ways he is playing very well. He's also playing a lot -- only R.J. Barrett has played more minutes than Rui.

Rui looks good for a rookie. His rebounding, while not strong for a 4, has been a surprising positive. OTOH, so far his scoring is a weak point not a strong one: he's posting a TS% of .487, which is absolutely terrible for a front court player. Just awful. &, as we all know, it's caused by one thing alone: Rui is 0-8 on 3-pointers.

The fact that we've had him on the floor 33 minutes a game & been competitive is probably the biggest single plus about Rui so far.

His numbers will change. They don't mean much at this point. One thing they for sure don't mean is that he'll be RoY. He's not putting up RoY numbers to this point -- not by a long shot!

He could get there of course.

Mostly agree... but Im loving the signs. He is such a smooth/effortless athlete (His comp to Kawhi for this is really uncanny). And while his shot isnt falling from 3, His mid range game looks great and his defense has been better than expected.

TBH, his 3 ball is the only skill that lacks whatsoever in regards to tangibles. Intangibles, his BBIQ needs an uptick.

But Im excited. Assuming Wall has the right attitude/play style, Rui (Along with Brown & Bryant) make for almost perfect compliments to Wall & Beal.

Obviously the Kawhi Comp is due to measurements and play/athletic style... But Danny Granger looks to be a very good comp for an upside offensivley... but I think I may have a better comp as an above average two way player....Derrick McKey
From 21-29 McKey had a Per 36 of 15 / 5.7 / 3 with a TS of 56% and BPM of 2.3

During the 5 year of his prime he was on back to back Sonics Contenders playing next to Kemp (47 & 55 wins), before he then played for the Pacers and proceeded to win 47, 52, & 52 games and getting deep in the playoffs.

Sorta Rich mans Thad Young

[nate33]

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

So... it's not like you're looking at how any other rookies are playing, right?

Rui looks at home on an NBA court, & in some ways he is playing very well. He's also playing a lot -- only R.J. Barrett has played more minutes than Rui.

Rui looks good for a rookie. His rebounding, while not strong for a 4, has been a surprising positive. OTOH, so far his scoring is a weak point not a strong one: he's posting a TS% of .487, which is absolutely terrible for a front court player. Just awful. &, as we all know, it's caused by one thing alone: Rui is 0-8 on 3-pointers.

The fact that we've had him on the floor 33 minutes a game & been competitive is probably the biggest single plus about Rui so far.

His numbers will change. They don't mean much at this point. One thing they for sure don't mean is that he'll be RoY. He's not putting up RoY numbers to this point -- not by a long shot!

He could get there of course.

Zion Williamson. Not going on a limb, I think he's going to be ROY.

Sent from my SM-J337T using RealGM mobile app

He is going to miss the first 8 weeks of the season, and you know they're going to be ultra cautious in bringing him back. My guess is that he will ultimately be excluded from ROY consideration because he's only going to play 40-50 games.

But, sure. If he's healthy, he's a lock for ROY.

[nate33]

Rui looks good for a rookie. His rebounding, while not strong for a 4, has been a surprising positive. OTOH, so far his scoring is a weak point not a strong one: he's posting a TS% of .487, which is absolutely terrible for a front court player. Just awful. &, as we all know, it's caused by one thing alone: Rui is 0-8 on 3-pointers.

Just to put that in perspective, if he made just 2 of those 8 3-pointers, a mere 25%, his TS% would be .550.

He's clearly not a great 3-point shooter, but I think we've seen enough in preseason and FIBA play to suggest that he's capable of shooting at least 25% on wide open looks.

[oldshoolballer]

God forbid anyone compliment Rui, PIF like a homing beacon is there with the cold water. Lighten up dude. Rui is better than Brandon Clarke. What's Otto up to these days? I was told we'd rue the day we let him walk. Rue I say!!!

Speaking of Otto Bulls fans are hating on him pretty bad,and they still owe him over 50 million.Rui's been good and he's going to be a lot better but I think RJ going to get ROY.

[payitforward]

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

So... it's not like you're looking at how any other rookies are playing, right?

Rui looks at home on an NBA court, & in some ways he is playing very well. He's also playing a lot -- only R.J. Barrett has played more minutes than Rui.

Rui looks good for a rookie. His rebounding, while not strong for a 4, has been a surprising positive. OTOH, so far his scoring is a weak point not a strong one: he's posting a TS% of .487, which is absolutely terrible for a front court player. Just awful. &, as we all know, it's caused by one thing alone: Rui is 0-8 on 3-pointers.

The fact that we've had him on the floor 33 minutes a game & been competitive is probably the biggest single plus about Rui so far.

His numbers will change. They don't mean much at this point. One thing they for sure don't mean is that he'll be RoY. He's not putting up RoY numbers to this point -- not by a long shot!

He could get there of course.

So what you're saying is, that we'd be better off not playing him?

God, no!! Did you read what I wrote? His "...TS% of .487, ...it's caused by one thing alone: Rui is 0-8 on 3-pointers."

Rui is going to be a terrific player. He'll get the 3-pointer going. But... declaring him RoY as WalltoWall did (admittedly he did say up front that he was "going out on a limb") doesn't fit the facts.

That's all.

[I_Like_Dirt]

I had actually picked Morant to win ROY before Zion got hurt. With Zion's injury, I see no reason to change that prediction now. It's still early and a lot can change. Morant will have a smaller media market and guys like Barrett and Hachimura are also going to be good. Morant, though - it's easy to say after he just dropped 30 in his third game - but he's going to set a rather high bar. He's already averaging 18/4/6 and I think he's going to push that up just a touch over the course of the season.

[payitforward]

Rui looks good for a rookie. His rebounding, while not strong for a 4, has been a surprising positive. OTOH, so far his scoring is a weak point not a strong one: he's posting a TS% of .487, which is absolutely terrible for a front court player. Just awful. &, as we all know, it's caused by one thing alone: Rui is 0-8 on 3-pointers.

Just to put that in perspective, if he made just 2 of those 8 3-pointers, a mere 25%, his TS% would be .550.

He's clearly not a great 3-point shooter, but I think we've seen enough in preseason and FIBA play to suggest that he's capable of shooting at least 25% on wide open looks.

I expect he'll be better than that! Moreover, if he'd hit 2 of those 8, it would be perfectly sensible to say that he was playing in RoY territory.

That's what happens when you look a guy based on 97 minutes. Rui has been terrific so far -- as you pointed out (more or less) "he already looks comfortable playing the NBA game." He's going to be a terrific NBA player!

[payitforward]

God forbid anyone compliment Rui, PIF like a homing beacon is there with the cold water. Lighten up dude. Rui is better than Brandon Clarke. What's Otto up to these days? I was told we'd rue the day we let him walk. Rue I say!!!

You picking a fight with me for no reason, man? Here's what I actually said about Rui:

...Rui looks at home on an NBA court, & in some ways he is playing very well. He's also playing a lot -- only R.J. Barrett has played more minutes than Rui.

Rui looks good for a rookie. His rebounding, while not strong for a 4, has been a surprising positive.

The fact that we've had him on the floor 33 minutes a game & been competitive is probably the biggest single plus about Rui so far.

...He's not putting up RoY numbers to this point.... He could get there of course.

If that isn't clear enough -- I am completely delighted with the way Rui Hachimura is playing so far. Off of what we've seen so far, I couldn't be happier with his performance. Oh... of course even better would be if he'd hit a 3-pointer or 2, but that's no big deal. I'm not worried about his shooting in any way.

As to Otto, obviously his physical frame is giving way. Really too bad, because he had 2 really amazing seasons in '16-17 & '17-18.

As to Brandon Clarke, I assume you haven't taken a look at what he's done so far, right?

Don't bother; it doesn't matter. Rui is our guy, & so far we have every reason to think he's going to be an outstanding NBA player.

[nate33]

Interesting take on Rui from CJ Miles:

Read on Twitter

It's also evident why Sheppard was willing to trade Howard for Miles. Miles seems like a real good locker room guy and Sheppard is 100% focused on building a culture.

[payitforward]

Both great points -- Miles on Rui & you on Miles/Sheppard.

It's one thing to see that a guy has a really big upside. To also see that he builds in that direction day by day... that is truly a great thing!

[JWizmentality]

God forbid anyone compliment Rui, PIF like a homing beacon is there with the cold water. Lighten up dude. Rui is better than Brandon Clarke. What's Otto up to these days? I was told we'd rue the day we let him walk. Rue I say!!!

You picking a fight with me for no reason, man? Here's what I actually said about Rui:

...Rui looks at home on an NBA court, & in some ways he is playing very well. He's also playing a lot -- only R.J. Barrett has played more minutes than Rui.

Rui looks good for a rookie. His rebounding, while not strong for a 4, has been a surprising positive.

The fact that we've had him on the floor 33 minutes a game & been competitive is probably the biggest single plus about Rui so far.

...He's not putting up RoY numbers to this point.... He could get there of course.

If that isn't clear enough -- I am completely delighted with the way Rui Hachimura is playing so far. Off of what we've seen so far, I couldn't be happier with his performance. Oh... of course even better would be if he'd hit a 3-pointer or 2, but that's no big deal. I'm not worried about his shooting in any way.

As to Otto, obviously his physical frame is giving way. Really too bad, because he had 2 really amazing seasons in '16-17 & '17-18.

As to Brandon Clarke, I assume you haven't taken a look at what he's done so far, right?

Don't bother; it doesn't matter. Rui is our guy, & so far we have every reason to think he's going to be an outstanding NBA player.

Not picking a fight. Just messin with you.

No I haven't looked at a single B.Clarke stat line. Would it surprise you that I don't care.

[payitforward]

Not at all! As I said, "it doesn't matter."

But, I have. Just as I've looked at Barrett's numbers, Morant's numbers, P.J. Washington's numbers, etc.

Not because of Rui, & certainly not because anyone's #s in 50 or 60 minutes somehow "matter" in assessing that player -- rookie, veteran, or anyone! Obviously they don't. I have looked for a much simpler reason. Because I'm interested to know how they're doing.

You're not, apparently. Which is fine. So (messin' right back ) don't click on this, or you'll be forced to find out.

Spoiler:

Clarke is absolutely killing it so far -- though he has only played in 2 games (@50 minutes). So is P.J. Washington in @70 minutes.

So are Terence Davis & Kendrick Nunn (both undrafted, I believe?). Hunter & White are playing pretty well too, as is Williams. While Morant, Garland, Culver, Reddish & Nickeil-Alexander are not.

[DCZards]

RJ Barrett will be the ROY...that’s my prediction.