The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be shorthanded yet again on Monday night when they face off against the Brooklyn Nets. Both LeBron James and Anthony Davis have already been ruled out with respective injuries, which has now led to a noteworthy move-up for newcomer Rui Hachimura.
According to Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, Hachimura will now be promoted to the starting lineup in what is going to be his first-ever start for his new team. This comes via Lakers beat reporter Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet.
This does not come as a major surprise considering how Hachimura used to be a starter for the Washington Wizards. He lost his spot in the starting five over the past couple of seasons, which is also believed to be one of the reasons behind his desire to jump ship in D.C.
It remains to be seen if this will be a permanent move for coach Ham, but it is worth noting that there were previous reports indicating that the Lakers traded for Hachimura with the intention of having him start alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis somewhere down the road. In the meantime, however, Rui can expect a handful of spot starts here and there whenever the Lakers opt to rest their stars.
Alongside Rui Hachimura, the Lakers are expected to put forth another makeshift starting five on Monday against a Kevin Durant-less Nets side that will likely feature Patrick Beverley, Dennis Schroder, Lonnie Walker IV (he is currently probable to play), and Thomas Bryant.
Follow Us
Subscribe