Hachimura is locked into being who he has to be.
The Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up the regular season on Sunday with a 131-107 blowout over the Utah Jazz, and Rui Hachimura had something to say about where this team stands heading into the postseason.
With Luka Doncic nursing a hamstring strain and Austin Reaves dealing with an oblique injury, the Lakers have been running a very different look over the last few games.
Hachimura didn't shy away from that reality postgame.
"Especially with Luka and AR out, it's a different game a little bit," Hachimura said. "But I think we kind of understand our roles... each individual has different things they need to do. At the end of the day, we know what our goal is, and I think we fought through these last three, four games and we got what we wanted. We got to keep rolling."
Hachimura Stepped Up When It Mattered
That mindset showed up in his play.
Against the Jazz, Hachimura posted 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting with 10 rebounds, giving the Lakers exactly the two-way punch they needed with their top two scorers sidelined.
It was the latest in a strong stretch for the 28-year-old forward, who also dropped 21 points and seven boards against the Mavericks and 15 points as the team's leading scorer in a loss to the Thunder when LeBron James also sat out.
Over these last four games, Hachimura averaged 13.6 points per game while shooting 60 percent from the floor with elevated minutes and responsibility.
His 44.3 percent clip from three on the season has been one of the more underrated storylines for this Lakers roster that has dealt with injuries all year.
On a team that desperately needs spacing when its stars are out, Hachimura has been the guy who can stretch the floor and still attack the rim.
Why He Matters in the Playoffs
The Lakers finished the regular season 53-29, locking in as the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
They will face the Houston Rockets in the first round, and the early part of that series could very well be played without Doncic and Reaves.
That means the version of this Lakers team that won three of its last four regular season games is the one that will need to show up in a playoff environment.
Hachimura doesn't need to become a number one option. Nobody is asking him to replace what Doncic and Reaves bring.
But he does need to be a reliable 15-to-20 point scorer who can defend, rebound, and knock down open threes while LeBron carries the playmaking load.
He has shown he can do that, and the adjustments the Lakers have been making without their stars suggest this group trusts the players around them.
If the Lakers are going to survive long enough for Doncic and Reaves to return, Hachimura will be a big reason why.