The Washington Wizards have started the season in a great way. A team that was really hit or miss, the Wizards won 10 games in the first 13, including wins over the Celtics, Hawks, and the Bucks. Since then, however, the squad has gone 5-9, and that included losses to the Spurs, Pelicans, and the Pacers. There are clear issues with the Wizards squad right now. However, one solution to the issues could be right there in their roster – Rui Hachimura.
Rui Hachimura impact on Wizards
The Wizards, as it was stated above, have had a lot of issues lately. Not only has their play slowed down, but they recently lost Kyle Kuzma due to health and safety protocols. That has come in an especially poor time for the Wizards. In their next few games, they are playing the Nuggets, Kings, Suns, Jazz, Nets, and the Knicks, all away from home. Apart from the Kings, all of these are playoff teams and some of them, such as the Suns and the Nets, are championship contenders.
Without Kuzma, the Wizards really need to put a hand in their bag of magic tricks and pull out the Japanese youngster – Rui Hachimura. Hachimura has not been featured yet in the squad this season. He has been out due to COVID-19, then for conditioning after having issues returning after COVID-19, and then for personal reasons. Now, the youngster is back. As Hoop District reported, coach Wes Unseld said that he will be trying to ramp him up for the West road trip.
Wes Unseld Jr. on Rui Hachimura joining the Wizards on their West Coast road trip
"We're going to try and find ways to ramp him up."
— Hoop District (@Hoop_District) December 11, 2021
The Wizards will be missing the 13.4 points per game Kuzma brings to the table. However, if Rui Hachimura can channel his form right from the get-go, he can be the guy who takes over for the former Laker. He also plays a similar position and he can take over his minutes. The Wizards still do not have a major chance against most of these teams, at least not in this form. Regardless, if the Japanese player can get himself going, that would give the Wizards some new blood in their pursuit of the playoffs.
While the upcoming six-game road trip is difficult, it will not be the be-all-end-all of the Wizards season. Thankfully for them, they have done well early in winning games, even without Hachimura. Now that he is back, Wes Unseld needs to give him a ton of minutes to get him going. He might not be the person that gets them the win, but his contributions are key for the Wizards to stop their slide.
It might not come in terms of wins, but Hachimura featuring for the squad will give them a better chance after the tough schedule ends. As Kuzma comes back, and Hachimura starts playing actual minutes on an NBA court, the Wizards should look better going forward. After the next couple of games, the Wizards have a homestand against the 76ers, Cavaliers, Bulls, Hornets, and the Rockets, broken off by a trip to Miami to face the Heat. Of course, some of these teams are direct competitors and that is where the Wizards really need to have statement games.
Getting Hachimura going would be instrumental for the Wizards in their playoff run. Simply said, as they enter this stretch of a tough road trip going into a homestand against the biggest rivals in the conference, they need every possible weapon available. If they can get a few wins out of the West, and then really try and get as many wins possible in the homestand, the Wizards would be able to hope for one of the first six spots in the East.
The Wizards have a key period of the season in front of them, and Hachimura is an integral part of it. If Wes Unseld can fit him in, the squad from the capital will definitely be a player in the East. However, it is important to take things into context. With a rookie coach and a completely new roster, even being in the top ten places will be a great achievement for the Wizards. It will be a rough period for Wizards fans right now, but Rui Hachimura can definitely make that easier for them.
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