Hachimura is rediscovering his early season form that had Redick comparing parts of the Japanese forward\u2019s game to \u201cprime Michael Jordan.\u201d But Hachimura may not be in line to immediately reprise his starting role.<\/p>\n
Despite the end of his minutes restriction, Hachimura has remained on the bench to begin games. With the Lakers winning four of their last five games, Hachimura is learning to thrive in any situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing off the bench, the game is already going,\u201d Hachimura said. \u201c… So I kind of know how important [it is] to kind of be extra aggressive [more] than usual.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because of injuries to their stars, the Lakers\u2019 first-choice starting lineup of Hachimura, LeBron James, Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves has only played 85 minutes together in seven games. It\u2019s minus-29 in that small sample size. The lineup with Reaves sidelined and Hachimura limited \u2014 James, Ayton and Doncic with Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia \u2014 was, before Monday\u2019s game, already the team\u2019s most-used group with 165 minutes together. It\u2019s minus-1.<\/p>\n
The starting group will change again no matter Hachimura\u2019s role as Reaves is inching closer to his return. The team expects him to be back during this trip. It could be as soon as Thursday\u2019s game in Cleveland. Keeping defense-minded players such as Smart and LaRavia with the starters has helped balance the lineups. The Lakers bench was never going to be particularly explosive, giving Hachimura potentially more offensive value with the second group.<\/p>\n
Coaches were lauding Hachimura for his ability to stay engaged and hit big shots earlier this season even if he went long stretches without touching the ball. Now Hachimura has had 10 or more shot attempts in five consecutive games for the first time since March 2024. Redick said the team is making sure to get Hachimura involved with specific plays coming out of timeouts. Hachimura said that hasn\u2019t happened for him during his tenure with the Lakers before.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s working,\u201d Hachimura said.<\/p>\n
Onlookers tend to fixate on starting lineups. Players and coaches like to stress who closes games more. Hachimura is delivering in the clutch moments: He played 42 minutes and six seconds in the fourth quarters against the Nuggets, Clippers, Mavericks and Bulls, the third-most fourth-quarter minutes on the team during that stretch behind Smart (42 minutes, 37 seconds) and James (42 minutes, 15 seconds).<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody\u2019s going to care if you were a starter or came off the bench at the end of the season or at the end of your career,\u201d Redick said. \u201cJust be a good basketball player. He\u2019s a good basketball player.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every metric of Hachimura\u2019s production will be scrutinized this offseason as he becomes a free agent. Despite what moving to the bench could mean for Hachimura\u2019s next contract, he doesn\u2019t appear fazed as long as the Lakers can keep counting wins: four in their last five. <\/p>\n
\u201cWinning is gonna help,\u201d Hachimura said after the loss to the Clippers. \u201cI think we focus on ourselves sometimes. But I think at the end of the day, it is just winning. That\u2019s gonna help us, everybody. So we gotta focus on that and everything\u2019s gonna come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charged up ![\"Luka](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769521868_219_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Luka Doncic points after taking a charge from Dallas\u2019 Cooper Flagg earlier this season. <\/p>\n
(Gina Ferazzi \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
Luka Doncic\u2019s balletic step-through to beat a double team and layup a soft finger roll was the offensive dagger that slayed his former team<\/a>. But the NBA\u2019s leading scorer got the biggest reaction from his defense nine seconds later when he stepped in front of Naji Marshall and ended up flat on his back in the key.<\/p>\n \u201cI enjoyed the charge more,\u201d Doncic told reporters in Dallas with a satisfied smirk.<\/p>\n Still laying flat on his back under the basket, Doncic\u2019s eyes widened as he screamed toward the Lakers\u2019 bench. His teammates pumped their fists and signaled for an offensive foul.<\/p>\n Consistently attacked by opponents on defense, Doncic delivered six consecutive stops in the fourth quarter against the Mavericks when he was the primary defender, coach JJ Redick said, including the energy-boosting charge. Doncic\u2019s 10 charges drawn are already the most of his career, eclipsing the eight he recorded during his rookie season with the Mavericks.<\/p>\n Doncic\u2019s selfless defense has helped put the Lakers on top of the league in charges drawn with 41 (0.93 per game). The next closest team, the Golden State Warriors, has 29.<\/p>\n The Lakers were also among the league\u2019s best last year in drawing charges, ranking second with 0.62 charges per game, but the addition of Marcus Smart has brought a significant boost. The former defensive player of the year has an NBA-high 14 charges drawn.<\/p>\n \u201cAnticipation,\u201d Smart said of how he puts himself in position to get the timely calls. \u201cTiming is everything. \u2026 And just making sure [you have] the confidence being there. Sometimes it works, sometimes it don\u2019t. You\u2019d rather be there and get a foul call and not be there and not get anything. It definitely takes some timing, but my teammates do a good job of funneling their guys to the right spot that I\u2019m gonna be in and they know where I\u2019m gonna be. Just make sure I\u2019m in my spot.\u201d<\/p>\n Austin Reaves and Doncic each have 10, tied for the second-most on the Lakers. Even Dalton Knecht stepped in front of Zion Williamson this season to draw the first charge of his career. He followed it with another charge the very next night against San Antonio.<\/p>\n On tap<\/p>\n Wednesday at Cavaliers (28-20), 4 p.m. PST<\/p>\n Cleveland has won five of its last six games after an underwhelming start to the season amid injury concerns for star guard Darius Garland. Garland, averaging 18 points in just 26 game appearances, could miss Wednesday\u2019s game with a right big toe sprain.<\/p>\n Friday at Wizards (10-34), 4 p.m. PST<\/p>\n The Wizards have lost nine in a row. Trae Young (quad) hasn\u2019t played since he was traded to Washington last month. Second-year center Alex Sarr is oen of the bright spots for the team as he leads the league in blocks with 2.1 per game.<\/p>\n Sunday at Knicks (27-18), 4 p.m. PST<\/p>\n The NBA Cup champions were spiraling with nine losses in 11 games between Dec. 31 and Jan. 19, but stabilized themselves with a 54-point win over Brooklyn and a gritty road win against Philadelphia. Jalen Brunson leads with 28 points and 6.1 assists per game while Karl-Anthony Towns leads the league in rebounding with 11.4 per game.<\/p>\n Status report<\/p>\n Austin Reaves: left calf strain<\/p>\n Reaves is progressing back to on-court work now that he\u2019s passed the four-week mark. After beginning with three-on-three games and stay-ready games against coaches and staff members, Reaves is expected to return fully on this trip that ends Feb. 3 in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n Adou Thiero: right knee sprain<\/p>\n The rookie forward is in the final week of his initial four-week timeline since his injury was announced on New Year\u2019s Eve.<\/p>\n Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Olympics<\/p>\n This 5-foot-2 reporter will be sidelined from Lakers coverage for four weeks while on assignment at the Milan Cortina Olympics. My colleague Brad Turner will take over the starting newsletter writer spot.<\/p>\n Favorite thing I ate this week Plov: Seasoned rice with lamb.<\/p>\n (Thuc Nhi Nguyen \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n This meal goes out to Saprarmurat, the Uber driver who picked me up at O\u2019Hare in the midnight hours of Monday morning and the first person I\u2019ve ever met from Kyrgyzstan. The cuisine is a combination of Eastern European and Central Asian and wholly delicious. The first two dishes he suggested were plov and manty, so I followed his lead when I found Euro Asia Restaurant near downtown Chicago. Plov is a seasoned rice dish with lamb and manty are steamed dumplings stuffed with diced lamb and onions. I walked a mile in single-degree weather for this meal and would do it many times over.<\/p>\n Manty: Steamed dumplings stuffed with diced lamb and onions<\/p>\n (Thuc Nhi Nguyen \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n In case you missed it<\/p>\n Luka Doncic scores 33 and remains unbeaten against Mavericks in Lakers comeback<\/a> <\/p>\n LeBron James downplays reported rift with Jeanie Buss: \u2018It\u2019s always been respect\u2019<\/a> <\/p>\n Lakers admit thinking about contracts, LeBron calls for changes after loss to Clippers<\/a> <\/p>\n Lakers\u2019 Luka Doncic named NBA All-Star Game starter, LeBron James waits for reserve call<\/a> <\/p>\n \u2018He\u2019s a very important guy.\u2019 Deandre Ayton enters exclusive Lakers club during win<\/a> <\/p>\n Until next time…<\/p>\n As always, pass along your thoughts to me at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com<\/a>, and please consider subscribing<\/a> if you like our work!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Welcome back to The Times\u2019 Lakers newsletter, where we are all packing our bags. The team is in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":151609,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[26334,26340,26338,26339,48,52,51,1415,47,50,49,63,26341,1086,9442,6466,26335,427,315,26337,26336,430],"class_list":["post-151608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-big-trade-move","tag-guys","tag-howard","tag-jerami-grant","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-lakers","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news","tag-los-angeles-times","tag-next-month","tag-pandemic","tag-player","tag-players","tag-talen-horton","tag-team","tag-time","tag-trade-season","tag-tucker","tag-week"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151608\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Plov:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769521869_648_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Manty:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769521869_151_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n