The Los Angeles Lakers had been in flux since losing LeBron James to injury, losing six of their last nine games while trying to hold onto a top-four seed in the Western Conference with teams like the Memphis Grizzlies close behind.
While JJ Redick has done an excellent job in his first year as head coach and Luka Doncic gives the roster a high floor, he can't do everything by himself. Just a few short weeks ago, the Lakers looked like title contenders. Now, they're floundering.
Unfortunately for Los Angeles, 27-year-old forward Rui Hachimura revealed some poor injury news after losing against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.
Here are Rui Hachimura's quotes discussing his left patellar tendinopathy and still not feeling 100% healthy: pic.twitter.com/8Rb5gbNjmS
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) March 23, 2025
Lakers F Rui Hachimura Reveals Unfortunate Injury News Despite Return to Floor
In his first game back from injury since February 27, Hachimura came off the bench to score a mere five points in a 31-point loss. As a 13.1-point scorer per contest on average, it wasn't an ideal performance that inspires confidence in Hachimura's ability to contribute to winning in this stretch run.
That said, it doesn't sound like that's his fault.
"I was like 70-80%. My knee is gonna be like that for a while, I think, Hachimura said. I can't really get back to 100% right away. I gotta rest for like a long time to get back to normal. But I don't think we have that, so we just gotta maintain and manage it."
It's an honest admission and one that speaks volumes to Hachimura's self-awareness, but it should still scare Lakers fans. If he's not on the floor, that's one fewer rotational wing available. Los Angeles is already thin, particularly with big men, and Hachimura's six-foot-eight size allows him to slide down low when necessary.
Unless this team gets healthy quickly, it's hard to see the Lakers making a deep run in the playoffs. Here's hoping Hachimura and James can get back to full strength soon, otherwise, we'll see another quick exit for Los Angeles against a team with superior depth.