The Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick has been playing his starters early in the 2024-25 NBA preseason, fine-tuning the team’s performance and preparing them for a competitive season. Alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, one Lakers key player that has been performing on the court was Rui Hachimura, who shared insights into the team’s focus for the upcoming season.
“Yeah, I think we talked about it before the season starts. This year is gonna be about the details. We’re gonna focus on every possession, it doesn’t matter if it’s the preseason or whatever. For us, it’s a practice. We haven’t had many practices yet so this kind of stuff helps us to get in a good rhythm going into the season,” the Japanese said as Lakers Daily posted on X.
He also reflected on last season’s preparation, noting the need for a more consistent approach this year. “Even last season, we were kind of messing around the first 30-40 games and then we came back and made the playoffs. But I don’t think we can do that this year again so we got to kind of set the tone and just play like we’ve been doing when the season starts,” he stated.
Some fans may have interpreted Hachimura’s comments as criticism of former Lakers head coach Darvin Ham. However, he also praised JJ Redick‘s work ethic, acknowledging the coach’s strong impact in his first head coaching job.
In the Lakers’ third preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, Rui Hachimura was one of the high points of the team. In 24 minutes on the court, the forward recorded 14 points, 1 assist, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.
JJ Redick’s plans for Hachimura
Last season, Hachimura averaged 13.6 points and 4.3 rebounds while posting a career-high 53.7% field goal percentage. During the preseason, JJ Redick has made it clear that he wants to maximize Hachimura’s impact, especially on the boards.
Redick has been using Hachimura in a more aggressive role, pushing him to improve his rebounding numbers. This strategy has already paid off—Hachimura grabbed 8 rebounds against the Phoenix Suns, 6 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and 5 against the Bucks. These numbers are above his career average of 4.8 rebounds per game.
Hamichura’s words for JJ Redick
Leading the Lakers as a first-time NBA head coach is no easy task, but Hachimura expressed confidence in Redick’s ability to guide the team to success. “He was just in the league. He knows exactly what’s happening in the league right now. For us, it’s easy to understand … whatever he says just makes sense,” said Hachimura when asked about Redick.