apparently, he just likes dunking on houston. btw, i missed this one, and it was hilarious watching jalen green act like he was tracking nunn for the block and then just get destroyed. that guy is going to need to learn some humility if he's going to deliver on his #2 pick status. anyway, i'll be glad for nunn if he gets back on track. he wasn't going to do so here.
So, Rui had 12/6 and a steal without even having a proper practice session. I think something like 14/7/1 with a steal is realistic on this team, which is great as long as he's not a total matador on D. At one point Ham had Schroeder, Max, Rui, Bron and AD out there and suddenly our team looked BIG. He really gives us a lot of flexibility now. Best +/- on the team too!
to me, the real question is can he play the 3 defensively. so far in his career, that answer has been no. and we don't need him to do it full-time, but to maximize him, he has to play some sf. good news is that other guys with his physical profile have been able to do that a bit (marcus morris, tobias harris). i read that he's not comfortable defending on the perimeter, so that's where i'd be working with him, as it's the difference between him being a starter and a bench player here.
Yup, I really hope Nunn can rejuwenate his career going forward. He went through a very tough period while being a Laker but it really wasn't his fault. This Rui guy makes me really excited though. Very promising first outing for the new addition.
The good thing about having him is that it gives you the chance to play big or small, depending on the matchup. We didn't have that and now we do, it's key, specially in postseason
helps in the regular season, too. we've lost a few games the past couple of years because guys like morris and harris just walked our perimeter players to the elbow and scored at will, imo. hachimura should at least help end that, even if he's not a great defender.
Rui has potential all over the place. Great debut as far as showing what can be. Now Ham has some work to do figuring this all out. Is there anyone else on the championship train yet???
Hell of a first game. The size alone made a difference. As soon as he checked in with AD and Bron headed to the bench, they were all in the same frame and Rui wasn't that much smaller than either. So refreshing. He doesn't have to be great defensively, just give the big wings his best effort, use his length and wingspan, don't fall asleep (like Russ) and push everything else towards AD. It's also nice to have a bucket getter when Bron and AD are sitting. The offense won't go to zero. Needs to tighten up the handle a bit. Bobbled (but recovered) a couple of those fast break plays.
I'm with abeer here. To compete we need one more good trade, and a training camp. I'd be happy with the play-in right now, and then see if we can do more once we get there.
If he can defend SF's and rotate off-ball onto shooters then the Lakers finally have a semblance of a consistent finishing lineup AD/Lebron/Rui/Reaves and whoever is playing well as the 5. Right now the Lakers don't have anyone penciled in the last 2 spots if healthy which is, to put it mildly, not good
Good break down on Rui's defense: not bad The boxing out is a concern: Handy needs to work whatever magic he pulled on Kuzma to get this better. Team already has trouble on the defensive glass preventing the opposing offensive boards
For now, I’d be content if Rui gives us pretty much the same level of production as in his debut. Seems to have been close to his career averages with Washington. But at the same time… I can’t help but feel that he might become so much more! He has all the tools to be a VERY good NBA player. Can’t teach that combination of size, athleticism, and touch. That stretch in the fourth where he hit a transition three, post up midrange fadeaway, and then face up to attack the rim for a dunk. All super impressive stuff, can’t recall the last time I’ve seen those capabilities from one of our “role players”
in theory, he should be able to feast offensively off of our big dogs. i know everyone wants the three, but having him as a very competent midrange scoring option can also open up some stuff for us. if he finds ways to use that threat to become a passer for our bigs, that would be an added bonus and put him as a tobias harris type. that's asking a lot, though. for now, we have a young, good-sized, skilled player again. very different player than kuz, but similar value to us, imo.
Me neither! It was so cool to hear James Worthy gushing about Rui’s potential and see him excited in the post game show. When Big Game is talking about your offensive talent like that, that’s a heck of an endorsement. And Metta too. Let’s get Metta to give him some tutoring on D! Can’t hurt.
