The Los Angeles Lakers followed up their most shocking win of the season with their most complete — and arguably their most impressive. Led by LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, and solid fourth-quarter defensive execution, the Lakers fended off Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks, ending their nine-game winning streak.

The Lakers started Rui Hachimura at power forward in the win, something that Ham hopes to continue, according to Lakers Nation:

“Darvin Ham says ‘being bigger on the frontline and creating some balance' was the reason for starting Rui Hachimura over Taurean Prince. He added that he's ‘hoping' he'll be able to stick with this lineup. ‘That's definitely the plan.'

The Lakers are dealing with injuries to their frontcourt, with James and Davis recently missing time, and forward Jarred Vanderbilt possibly out for the season with a significant foot injury suffered in the team's win over the Celtics earlier this week.

Hachimura was a true revelation in the 2023 playoffs, but his success has not carried over to this season. His strengths are his offensive prowess and ability to put up points in a hurry, but he hasn't come close to replicating his postseason impact while struggling to stay healthy.

Despite his injury issues and low-level impact thus far, Hachimura's contract is readily movable, and he still offers some positional and stylistic flexibility—not to mention a sliver of remaining upside—at age 25. But with Ham now moving Hachimura into the Lakers' starting lineup, at least for the time being, he now has an opportunity to make a positive impact on Los Angeles' success moving forward.