Lakers News: LA Starter Determined To Move Up Standings In Final 5 Games Of Season

Alex Kirschenbaum | Apr 5, 2024

Apr 16, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis (3) reacts with forward Rui Hachimura (28) and guard Austin Reaves (15). / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers have been stuck in the play-in bracket of a crowded Western Conference for much of the 2023-24 season, despite overall fielding a marginally improved version of the 2022-23 roster that sent them all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

Currently the ninth seed in the West with a 44-33 record (they finished the 2022-23 season at 43-39 and in the conference's seventh seed), the Lakers sit just 1.5 games behind the sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns and just 1.5 games ahead of the tenth-seeded Golden State Warriors in a star-heavy, bunched-up group of postseason contenders. Clearly, every win is precious.

Following a team practice today, forward Rui Hachimura spoke at length about how the club is striving to close the season strong:

Rui Hachimura: “We can’t lose one game. It’s one at a time, but I think we have five games left? So we’re trying to get all of them” pic.twitter.com/CHvupmq7KG

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 5, 2024

"It's crazy," Hachimura said of how close they are in the standings to the Suns, Warriors, New Orleans Pelicans (the seventh seed at 45-31) and Sacramento Kings (the eighth seed at 44-32, and looking particularly vulnerable without injured guards Kevin Huerter and ex-Laker Malik Monk). "I think every game is going to be important. We can't lose one game. It's one at a time, but I think we have five games left, so we're trying to get all of them. We'll see how that goes. We're in a good position right now, but we've just got to keep doing it."

LA is in relatively good shape. The club has won three straight and eight of its last ten contests. It will have its work cut out for it if it truly aspires to win out, however. The team will face four other clubs angling for optimal postseason seeding in its final five games, with a matchup against the banged-up Memphis Grizzlies on Friday looking like its only "gimme."

And Hachimura has been a big part of that. Across his last 27 games as a permanent starter for the Lakers, the 6'8" Gonzaga product has been averaging 15.9 points on .594/.450/.674 shooting splits, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.5 blocks a night.