The Lakers get a big lift Monday night. Rui Hachimura is off the injury report entirely and, barring some sort of late setback, will be back in the lineup Monday night in Sacramento.
No surprise, given the time he was out, but JJ Redick said Sunday he'd be on a minutes restriction, and come off the bench.
The big question for Lakers fans is whether this is just temporary, or if the minutes restriction is the entry point Redick will use to do the thing he should have been doing, anyway: Bring Hachimura off the bench. We've been calling for it in this space since the summer. The numbers, small sample size notwithstanding, indicate that the Lakers would be better off with Hachimura as a reserve. Redick, though, has resisted.
But if the Lakers can find some rhythm over the next few games and Rui performs well, maybe things just stay as they are? With Jake LaRavia in the starting lineup, with Marcus Smart. Then when Austin Reaves comes back, another adjustment is made.
The Lakers really need Rui back, not just as a floor spacer and an offensive weapon -- both of which are very important for this group -- but also to slot guys like Jarred Vanderbilt into a workload that makes more sense and helps maximize positive impact while minimizing the negative.
Finally, former Laker Denis Schroder won't be playing Monday. Why? Because he was suspended by the league for three games for trying to fight Luka Dončić following the last time the two teams met, responding to smack talk Luka delivered, specifically about how Schroder dropped the enormous bag the Lakers tried real hard to get him to take.
Crazy!
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: Rui is back!
SEGMENT 2: Rui will come off the bench Monday... will he stay there?
SEGMENT 3: The delightful story of Denis and Luka.
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