The Los Angeles Lakers are not even a month into the season, and they are already staring at a problem they did not exactly plan for: the Rui Hachimura–Jake LaRavia pairing just is not working. The longer this continues, the more it begins to resemble a major decision point for the front office.
Both players bring useful tools. Hachimura this season has looked great. Through 13 games this season, he has been averaging a career-high in points per game while shooting a career-best 50.0 percent from beyond the arc. He has become a steady and reliable scorer who knows how to use his size to his advantage.