Hachimura Is Playing 11 More Minutes a Night for the Lakers
With a teammate out, Rui Hachimura is logging heavier minutes and scoring more to match.
Rui Hachimura is playing 11 more minutes a night than his season average. Over his last three games with the Lakers, through May 11, 2026, he has averaged 40.2 minutes a night. That is well above his mark for the 2025-26 season, 29.7 minutes across 78 games. The jump has come with a teammate out of the lineup.
The extra time has come with more scoring. Hachimura has averaged 20.7 points over those last three games. His season average is 12.2 points. Both numbers, minutes and points, have moved up together over the same three-game stretch.
For this to hold, the Lakers need to keep leaning on Hachimura the way they have these last three games. The clearest driver behind the change is the missing teammate. If that player returns to the lineup, Hachimura's minutes would likely come back down toward his season average of 29.7, and his scoring toward 12.2. If the absence continues, there is no reason to expect the heavier workload to ease.
Three games is a short stretch measured against a 78-game season. The numbers say what has actually happened since Hachimura's role expanded, not what will happen next. The teammate's return, whenever it comes, is the single biggest factor that will decide whether this new role sticks or fades.