Rui Hachimura benefited from Lakers coaches’ belief

EL SEGUNDO — The belief that the Lakers, led by head coach JJ Redick, had in Rui Hachimura and his growth as a player was evident before the 26-year-old forward started his sixth NBA season.
Despite disappointing performances during the Lakers’ first-round exit to the Denver Nuggets in the 2024 playoffs, Redick named Hachimura as a starter before training camp, believing in the synergy the team found with Hachimura in the first unit to close the 2023-24 season.
Even when there were s