Rui Hachimura Expected to be Starter Despite Christian Wood’s Signing

Key Takeaways:

• Despite the signing of Christian Wood, Rui Hachimura is anticipated to start in the Lakers’ frontcourt for the 2023-24 season.
• Wood is expected to be the primary backup center, occasionally sharing the floor with Anthony Davis in two-big lineups.
• The Lakers’ updated roster reflects their offseason moves.

Rui Hachimura Set to Start for Lakers

In a surprising development, it appears that Rui Hachimura is poised to be the starting frontcourt player for the Los Angeles Lakers in the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season. This decision comes on the heels of the recent signing of Christian Wood.

OFFICIAL: Christian Wood – Los Angeles Laker. pic.twitter.com/9F82LoZcY2

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 6, 2023

Jovan Buha of The Athletic has reported that, based on team sources, the early expectation is that Christian Wood will assume a role coming off the bench. Meanwhile, Rui Hachimura is the likely choice to join forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the Lakers’ frontcourt lineup. At a minimum, Christian Wood is expected to be the primary backup center, and there will be instances of him playing alongside Anthony Davis in two-big lineups. Wood’s playing time is estimated to average around 20 minutes per game when the team is at full strength.

That one time Christian Wood demolished Rui Hachimura 😮

Those quick, fluid movements on the perimeter into the explosive dunk… pic.twitter.com/fhfe73m6aD

— Lakers Legacy (@LakersLegacyPod) September 6, 2023

Lakers’ Updated Roster

The Lakers’ roster for the upcoming season reflects their offseason moves:

Point Guards (PG): D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino
Shooting Guards (SG): Austin Reaves, Max Christie
Small Forwards (SF): LeBron James, Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince, Maxwell Lewis
Power Forwards (PF): Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt
Centers (C): Anthony Davis, Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes
The Lakers’ roster has seen significant changes, and the addition of Christian Wood has added depth and versatility to their frontcourt.

@.tokku The Lakers look scary next season😱#nba #basketball #Lakers#edit ♬ オリジナル楽曲 – ja toku🐆

After initially going unsigned in the early stages of free agency, Christian Wood eventually agreed to a two-year, $5.7 million contract with the Lakers, including a player option for the 2024-25 season, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. This signing is expected to bring further dynamics to the Lakers’ lineup as they prepare for the upcoming season.