Rui Hachimura

[NatP4]

With Rui back, I would expect to see this:

Westbrook Ish
Beal Brown
Avdija Bonga
Bertans Rui
Bryant Lopez

Still leaves a massive problem at backup C&PG and no Mathews. Hot take: just play Brown at PG and get Mathews into the rotation on the wing, play small with Rui at the 5 so there’s less Lopez.

I expect Rui to start. Bonga might also start with Deni coming off the bench.

Rui’s physicality will be a welcome (and important) addition to the Zards front court play.

He’s on a minutes restriction, I doubt he starts. Also, Bonga is losing minutes to Robinson, Ish, and Neto, there’s no way he starts over Avdija.

[DCZards]

With Rui back, I would expect to see this:

Westbrook Ish
Beal Brown
Avdija Bonga
Bertans Rui
Bryant Lopez

Still leaves a massive problem at backup C&PG and no Mathews. Hot take: just play Brown at PG and get Mathews into the rotation on the wing, play small with Rui at the 5 so there’s less Lopez.

I expect Rui to start. Bonga might also start with Deni coming off the bench.

Rui’s physicality will be a welcome (and important) addition to the Zards front court play.

I would prefer Deni off the bench anyway. He isn't going to get many touches playing with Beal and Russ.

Yes...playing with the second unit gives Deni more of an opportunity to use his offensive and playmaking skills.

I also prefer having Bonga’s defensive presence on the court at the outset of the game.

[AFM]

Let’s hope Rui is powering up dragon ball style. Hyperbolic time chamber training with his pink eye

[nate33]

Why is he on a minutes restriction? There's no reason he shouldn't have been staying in shape with pink eye.

[doclinkin]

Tanking.

[NatP4]

Why is always a 20 minute limit? Westbrook and Beal play in the preseason? 20 minutes, Bertans hasn’t played in 7 months? 20 minutes, Rui had pink eye for a week? 20 minutes.

Cause it’s easy for Brooks to keep track of.

[tontoz]

Why is always a 20 minute limit? Westbrook and Beal play in the preseason? 20 minutes, Bertans hasn’t played in 7 months? 20 minutes, Rui had pink eye for a week? 20 minutes.

Cause it’s easy for Brooks to keep track of.

Bertans played 26 minutes last game so one of the assistants will probably be put on double secret probation.

[bsilver]

Minutes restriction is dumb. See if he needs it before deciding.

As others suggested, move to Deni to the bench. With Rui back, Deni's number of touches gets even lower. Wiz have to get him the ball and feel empowered to be assertive. Bad play last night when he made bad pass to Bertans instead of going hard to the basket.

[prime1time]

I expect Rui to start. Bonga might also start with Deni coming off the bench.

Rui’s physicality will be a welcome (and important) addition to the Zards front court play.

I would prefer Deni off the bench anyway. He isn't going to get many touches playing with Beal and Russ.

Yes...playing with the second unit gives Deni more of an opportunity to use his offensive and playmaking skills.

I also prefer having Bonga’s defensive presence on the court at the outset of the game.

Is Bonga that much better than Deni defensively? Also, if anything that needs shoring up is our bench defense. We should move Bonga to the bench and run less 3 guard lineups.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Sherman?
M1 Abrams?
Bradley fighting vehicle? (That might be something other than a tank)

Y’all are smart

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Per Brooks, Rui is back and will play 20 minutes tomorrow

All coaches need to do is have their rep read this or Bullets Forever.

Thirty five million? Nice .

[payitforward]

With Rui back, I would expect to see this:

Westbrook Ish
Beal Brown
Avdija Bonga
Bertans Rui
Bryant Lopez

Still leaves a massive problem at backup C&PG and no Mathews. Hot take: just play Brown at PG and get Mathews into the rotation on the wing, play small with Rui at the 5 so there’s less Lopez.

I expect Rui to start. Bonga might also start with Deni coming off the bench.

Rui’s physicality will be a welcome (and important) addition to the Zards front court play.

Didn't Brooks explicitly say that Rui would be the starter at the 4?

"Rui's physicality?" -- where has he shown that, Zards? Rebounding? Defense? I must have missed that....

Rui has the potential to become an outstanding NBA player, but he hasn't done it yet. As a rookie he wasn't outstanding in any way.

Of course, he may have improved enormously in the Covid-based relative inactivity of the last 6 months, who knows, but I'd say it's a disservice to Rui to imagine that his return is likely to make the Wizards a better team.

[prime1time]

With Rui back, I would expect to see this:

Westbrook Ish
Beal Brown
Avdija Bonga
Bertans Rui
Bryant Lopez

Still leaves a massive problem at backup C&PG and no Mathews. Hot take: just play Brown at PG and get Mathews into the rotation on the wing, play small with Rui at the 5 so there’s less Lopez.

I expect Rui to start. Bonga might also start with Deni coming off the bench.

Rui’s physicality will be a welcome (and important) addition to the Zards front court play.

Didn't Brooks explicitly say that Rui would be the starter at the 4?

"Rui's physicality?" -- where has he shown that, Zards? Rebounding? Defense? I must have missed that....

Rui has the potential to become an outstanding NBA player, but he hasn't done it yet. As a rookie he wasn't outstanding in any way.

Of course, he may have improved enormously in the Covid-based relative inactivity of the last 6 months, who knows, but I'd say it's a disservice to Rui to imagine that his return is likely to make the Wizards a better team.

I think it’s a disservice to Rui to assume that him being out wouldn’t make us a better team. How many teams are better when a starter is injured? And for all of your criticism, Rui made the all-rookie team so he must be doing something right.

[DCZards]

Didn't Brooks explicitly say that Rui would be the starter at the 4?

"Rui's physicality?" -- where has he shown that, Zards? Rebounding? Defense? I must have missed that....

Rui has the potential to become an outstanding NBA player, but he hasn't done it yet. As a rookie he wasn't outstanding in any way.

Of course, he may have improved enormously in the Covid-based relative inactivity of the last 6 months, who knows, but I'd say it's a disservice to Rui to imagine that his return is likely to make the Wizards a better team.

PIF, I should have known that if I said anything the least bit positive about Rui that you would shoot it down.

To answer your question, Rui has consistently shown his physicality on offense (even at Gonzaga) where he has been willing to bang bodies, especially when he's down low with the ball in his hands.

When it comes to rebounding and defense, it's primarily Rui's awareness that's lacking...and not his physical aggressiveness.

[smoothSeph]

Now Rui isn’t physical? What?

His presence alone will help the front court. In Bryant’s last presser you can hear how excited he is to have Rui back. Guess he doesn’t know any better either.

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Read on Twitter

?s=21

[NatP4]

I mean, he doesn’t really rebound, block shots, or defend much. I’m not sure that a couple of Twitter clips change that.

[NatP4]

Not against Deni moving to the bench. Bonga certainly fits better with the starters, and Deni needs a lot more usage and shots. You could take a lot of pressure off of whatever mix of trash Brooks uses at the guard spots if you had Deni creating offense in that 2nd unit.

[smoothSeph]

I mean, he doesn’t really rebound, block shots, or defend much. I’m not sure that a couple of Twitter clips change that.

Physical was the word used. The hope is that it translates into the areas you mentioned as his career goes on. Obviously that's no guarantee but to say the kid shies from contact is false

[nate33]

Hachimura is physical in that he can hold his position in the post against any 4, and can even play the 5 for stretches without getting pushed under the basket.

He also gained 10 pounds of muscle this year so he'll be even stronger.

I agree that he has weaknesses in rebounding and help defense, but it's not because he's afraid to put a body on someone.

[Frichuela]

Hachimura is physical in that he can hold his position in the post against any 4, and can even play the 5 for stretches without getting pushed under the basket.

He also gained 10 pounds of muscle this year so he'll be even stronger.

I agree that he has weaknesses in rebounding and help defense, but it's not because he's afraid to put a body on someone.

Agreed. I would like to see a closing line-up of Russ/Beal/Deni/Bertans/Rui. That is..when the fat Latvian is off his minutes restriction.