Washington Wizards: 3 reasons for optimism heading into the future

Reasons for optimism for the Washington Wizards: Rui Hachimura appears to be a good player

I don’t want to jump to conclusions here, but through two seasons it appears that the Washington Wizards may have found a solid player and contributor in Rui Hachimura. He hasn’t regressed in his sophomore season and has even improved his shooting efficiencies while continuing to be a strong rebounder.

The month of March was an especially bright spot during his second season with the club. Even though the Wizards only went 4-10 during that month, Hachimura was exceptional and showed growth as a player for Washington. During that 14-game stretch, Hachimura averaged 17 points and six rebounds on 51 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from 3-point range.

While many have questioned Washington’s first-round selection in the 2020 NBA Draft, Deni Avdija, it appears that the Wizards may have hit, at the very least, on a rotation player during the 2019 NBA Draft.

There are still strides that you’d like to see in Rui Hachimura’s game, on both ends of the floor, he’s been a strong contributor for the Wizards through his first two seasons in the NBA. For a player that was selected ninth overall, there’s nothing more you can really ask for.