Success in the regular season doesn’t always carry over to the playoffs.
The difference is bigger than ever, as lower seeds are advancing more often. The games get tougher, players play harder and defenses focus for all 48 minutes.
A playoff riser is a term for players who elevate their game and perform at their best when the stakes are highest. Rui Hachimura, through eight games this year and continuing from previous playoff runs, has done just that as he’s transformed into one of the most reliable
jump shooters in basketball.
Putting up a valiant fight, the Lakers fell to OKC on Thursday and now trail 2-0 in the series. The results are no surprise as, without superstar Luka Dončić, the purple and gold were heavy underdogs against the deepest team in the league.
OKC will remain heavy favorites even as the series shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.
The final score didn’t reflect the competitiveness of either of the first two matchups. The Thunder pulled away in the fourth in Game 1 to win by 18. The start of Game 2 looked like a continuation as OKC scored the first seven points and LA missed its first five shots.
As they’ve done many times, the Lakers found their “release valve” who made something out of nothing.
Watch below as Marcus Smart drives into the congested lane with no advantage and kicks out at Hachimura. Defended by the Chet Holmgren, runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, Rui attacks him in isolation and gets to his patented mid-range pull-up to break the ice for LA.
Called a lost art and a shot that’s maligned during the 82-game grind, the mid-range jumper becomes essential once teams game plan to take away attempts at the rim or 3-point line.
Among players who attempted a minimum of two per game, Hachimura led the league in the regular season from mid-range, shooting 55.6% on those jumpers.
Where he’s become irreplaceable for LA during the playoffs is the 3-point shooting. Hachimura is currently at a blistering 57.1% on over five attempts per game this postseason after shooting 48% last year in five games against Minnesota.
That number leads the Lakers and ranks second among players who take at least three per game in the entire playoffs.
With LA still reeling to start Game 2, trailing 11-4, watch below as Hachimura catches it in the corner off a LeBron James pass and hits the 3-pointer over an outstretched Holmgren.
His main value remains being a player you can’t tag off of in the corner while the Lakers run on-ball actions. Watch below as Austin Reaves, who scored 31 points in Game 2, collects one of his six assists with a skip pass to the wide-open Hachimura.
Hachimura’s 57.1% from three jumps to an automatic 70.4% on wide-open attempts.
Taking into account the Lakers’ storied history as a franchise, Hachimura is already ninth all-time in 3-pointers made. He still holds the record for the highest playoff 3-point percentage in NBA history at 51%.
He’s not a perfect player by any means. The defensive foot speed, lack of athletic tools at his position as a three or four and finishing at the rim leave a lot to be desired.
With that being said, he’s scored in double digits every game this postseason. He’s shot above 50% in seven of the eight games and reliably played over 40 minutes in the Lakers’ first three contests against Houston to help upset the Rockets in the first round.
Being tagged as one of the best shooters in the league, or a “laser” as head coach JJ Redick calls it, is an extremely valuable piece, especially considering the needs around Luka this summer.
Hachimura is in the last year of a deal that will send him into unrestricted free agency. While they have his Bird rights, the Lakers have a ton of players to evaluate and are not in a position to let talent walk out the door without getting anything in return.
The grass could always be greener when it comes to wings in the NBA. No matter how this season ends, LA has one that’s shown to be a playoff riser, making for tough decisions to come this summer.
You can follow Raj on X at @RajChipalu
