NBA
Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham is considering starting Rui Hachimura tonight in Game 2 vs the Denver Nuggets
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated18 May 2023
In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, there was a clear discrepancy on the glass. The Lakers were outrebounded 47-30 by the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic feasted on the boards. He finished the game with 21 rebounds and has 12 boards after just the first quarter. That is why Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham is considering starting Rui Hachimura tonight in Game 2 vs the Denver Nuggets.
Tuesday night was Game 1 of the 2023 Western Conference Finals. Head coach Darvin Ham stuck with the same starting lineup the Lakers used in Game 6. They played smaller with Dennis Schroder and D’Angelo Russell together as starters.
The Lakers were missing size and rebounding on the glass. That is why head coach Darvin Ham is considering starting Rui Hachimura tonight according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
Sources: Lakers are considering a lineup change for Game 2 versus Nuggets. pic.twitter.com/I8OhxN0Jcc
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 18, 2023
Rui Hachiura might get the start tonight in Game 2 vs the Nuggets
The addition of Rui Hachimura to the starting lineup would be massive for the Lakers. However, that would leave Darvin Ham with a tough decision on who would have to come off the bench. The obvious answer is Dennis Schroder. He’s made two starts this postseason for the Lakers.
After a rough outing in Game 1, it could be all-star PG D’Angelo Russell who is coming off the bench tonight. He was the only Lakers starter in Game 1 to play less than 30 minutes. He finished the game with 8/0/3 in 26 minutes played. Darvin Ham was quick to make some adjustments, and that involved Rui Hachimura playing nearly 30 minutes off the bench.
Hachimura played 28 minutes in Game 1 and finished with 17 points and 1 assist. He went an efficient 8-11 from the field off the bench. After Game 1, Denver’s Bruce Brown said the game plan was to attack D’Angelo Russell when the Nuggets were on offense. That’s a huge reason why Ham is considering a change to the starting lineup tonight in Game 2.
