The Utah Jazz were coming to town, and the Los Angeles Lakers needed a big player to step up. Rui Hachimura was up to the job.

In the Lakers’ 16-point win, the forward scored 36 points, making 13 of 19 shots from the field and 6 of 8 from 3-point range. It was the best scoring game of his career.

Since getting a new deal last summer, Hachimura’s season has been up and down. He showed what he could do when the Lakers made it to the playoffs last year, but this year, head coach Darvin Ham has had trouble getting the forward to regularly play at that level. 
Hachimura’s anger is something that Ham thinks is very important for him to do well. When asked about how dangerous Hachimura can be when he plays aggressively, the Lakers coach said that he had been after the game and that Hachimura had reacted well to his teacher’s and teammates’ support.

“Dangerous. When it comes to how active he is, he rarely has two bad games in a row. Before that game against New Orleans, which was the second night of a back-to-back after Denver, I told him, “You need to go out and play like a crazy man.” You should leave your mark on the game. 
“The way you run, the speed with which you play, and the way you attack the defensive and offensive glass have all been working.” We got him last year, and he’s done a lot better since then. He’s good at defensively keeping the ball in front of him, coming back to help support the defensive glass, getting offensive boards, playing in the pocket, and setting screens.

Whether he’s on the wings or along the front line of the team, he gives us that toughness. He’s in a good place, though, and he’s having fun with his friends and the game. He heard us very clearly when we told him to keep going. For us to be great, Rui has to be great too. He’s an important part of our team, and when he plays like that, we’re very tough to beat. 

Having Hachimura play at a high level makes the Lakers’ potential much higher. It’s hard to stop him because of his size and skill to score. Also, his defense getting better makes a big difference. James and Anthony Davis will get it done, but the Lakers will be harder to beat if more guys like Hachimura are there to help them out.