Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura has burst onto the scene this year, leading the Zags to a top-five ranking and making himself a prospect for the 2019 NBA Draft
Gonzaga currently sits top five in the entire country, and a big part of their early success is because of their star power forward Rui Hachimura.
The Japan native is a rarity to be playing basketball especially coming from a country that is typically dominated by baseball. But ever since arriving in Spokane three years ago, Hachimura has slowly progressed into what he is now. A serious prospect for next summer’s NBA Draft.
Best season yet
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The 6-foot-8 forward has doubled his scoring output this season and has also improved immensely in several other categories.
Hachimura averaged just 11.6 points per night last season, playing an average of 20.7 minutes per contest. Fast forward to this year and he’s averaging an impressive 22.2 points per game on 30.7 minutes a night. The junior also has 6.4 rebounds a game, substantially more than he had last season.
Every year there has been an improvement in his numbers as he saw more time on the court. In his freshman year, he barely saw any time, averaging around four minutes a game and just 2.6 points. Last season, 11.6 points. Then the big jump to a 20 point a night type of player this year has really put Hachimura on the map across the country and on the radar of NBA scouts.
He is a huge reason Gonzaga is currently ranked No. 4 in NCAA basketball and the sole reason the Bulldogs beat the high-flying Duke Blue Devils a few weeks back when he hit a game-winning layup, and also blocked R.J. Barrett to secure the lead with just minutes left. They handed Zion Williamson’s stacked Duke team their first loss of the year in the Maui Invitational and proved to the entire college basketball world that the Blue Devils aren’t completely invincible.
What he can bring to the NBA
Hachimura is a physical specimen at 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, including a 7-foot-2 wingspan. He has great length and is extremely athletic for his size. The power forward is very strong in the paint and has great ball skills, showing the ability to dribble very well and make some impressive spin moves around the rim.
He does most of his scoring inside the perimeter, with the majority of his buckets coming at the hoop. Hachimura is shooting 56 percent from the field this season and 46 percent from downtown. He only attempts 1.5 3’s per game, so it could be a category of his game that could use some work.
Something that’s been very impressive from watching Hachimura is his ability to make difficult layups with both hands. He’s just as strong with his left hand as his dominant one when contesting a shot at the rim. That’s a wonderful skill set to have because oppositions have no clue which side he will be favoring since he can score with both hands.
Hachimura is also very fast in transition and has a powerful combination of speed and strength in all aspects of his game. He isn’t afraid of contact when driving in the lane which is a very good sign to the development of him as a player. Defensively, his length really helps him when it comes to blocks and keeping oppositions from getting efficient looks.
Consistency is one thing that will need to keep improving. He has great games, then struggles the next. He has similar traits to Giannis Antetokounmpo in the way he plays. Hachimura has a very similar build to the Greek Freak. Long, lean, and powerful. Just like Antetokounmpo, he likes to play most of his game in the paint. Hachimura will have to become a more consistent jump shooter inside the perimeter over time though because he does struggle at times to make 2-point attempts.
Rui Hachimura has turned himself into a cant-miss prospect for the 2019 NBA Draft with the limitless potential he has shown this year. If he can continue to average over 20 a night and play like a monster in the paint, expect to see him be the first Japanese born player to ever play in the NBA. With more consistency over time, we could be looking at a future star in the association.