LAKERS, THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE:
GIVE RUI EXT, MORE SHOTS, SHOT 6MOY!Time to stop wasting Rui as 5th option in juggernaut starting lineup and swap him for Marcus or Jake to give the starters more offense and give the bench a legitimate bucket getter.
Rui loves being a… https://t.co/PIZqYhzslb pic.twitter.com/LB3VsSLrNR
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) December 1, 2025
LAKERS, THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE: GIVE RUI EXT, MORE SHOTS, 6MOY!
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December 1, 2025 5 Comments
Agreed. He needs a higher usage rate than either Knecht or Smart, at least until one of them starts making shots with more regularity. He’s below both at this point. Some of that is on him, he’s very deferential.
He won’t be coming off the bench, though. The starting 5 needs him. He makes it all work. LaRavia would be an OK approximation but Smart is an offensive black hole prone to both silly fouls and turnovers. Love him as the lead guard off the bench, when he’s feeling able to play, but there’s no version of the Lakers where he’s more than a 1-2 year guy here. Rui should be considered part of a budding core of players that augment and play well with Luka and Reaves.
While I agree with the premise, our switch everything defensive scheme would leave someone like Marcus guarding a big. Rui is one of the best PF’s in the league when it comes to defending bigs.
Honestly, especially the way Redick doles out minutes and roles, I’m not as concerned about the bench as the internet is. We go 8 or 9 deep, depending on how you feel about Max “Layup Master” Kleber or Marcus Smart with LaRavia, Hayes and Gabe. Add in Smart, for arguments sake, and one of Reaves, LeBron or Luka and you’ve got a serviceable bench.
Everything will get tweaked when LeBron finally hangs them up (or moves on which I don’t expect to see). So you play that game when the time comes. No need to think about how you’re going to win Uno when you’re still playing Monopoly. The LeBron question won’t be answered until this summer, at the earliest, so focus on making this team play at the highest possible level and see if you can use Kleber in some kind of cost saving move.
That all sounds pretty fanciful, to me anyhow. Unless we get a true player of impact back I don’t think using the pick for a midgrade role-player is very smart. Since I don’t think we have a snow ball’s chance in hell of getting an impact player back for the deals we’ll likely be willing to move and 1 FRP that’ll convey in 5 years, I think you’re looking at the 2025-26 Lakers folks.
I agree. JJ has plenty of fire power on the floor at all times. The 2nd unit are not getting a lot of shots. You can not score if you are not getting shots. And we really do not have the assets to land a truly impactful player.