Imagine a key player returning, not as a savior, but as a walking question mark. Rui Hachimura’s return from a nagging knee injury wasn’t the boost the Lakers desperately needed; it was a stark admission: “My knee’s going to be like that for a while.” With playoff hopes hanging by a thread, the Lakers are now trapped in a high-stakes gamble, balancing immediate needs against long-term risks.
After being sidelined since February 27 with left patellar tendinopathy, the 26-year-old forward finally made his return. But if fans were hoping to see him back at full strength, yeah… that definitely didn’t happen. He didn’t look like himself, and if you were waiting on a reassuring update after the game, you’re out of luck—because Rui himself admitted that his knee is still only about 70-80% healed. And, even more concerning? He’s not sure it’ll be 100% anytime soon.
He played just under 18 minutes off the bench, putting up five points on six shot attempts—not exactly a headline-grabbing performance, but the real issue wasn’t the numbers. It was how he moved. He wasn’t nearly as explosive, and after the game, he kept it real about how much his knee is still affecting him.
“I can’t really get back to 100% right away. I’d have to rest for a long time to get back to normal… but I don’t think we have that.” Rui admitted.
That, unfortunately, is the problem—the Lakers don’t have time. Sitting key guys isn’t an option with them fighting for a playoff spot. Rui knows this and he’s trying to push through but the reality is that every single step of movement—jump stop, slide, cut—hurts.
“It’s just everything,” he said about where he feels the pain most. “I still don’t have the explosion. That’s going to be the key for me—just getting stronger.”
Managing Rui’s minutes: the Lakers’ dilemma
So now, the Lakers have a tough call to make. How much can they realistically play Rui without making things worse? On one hand, they need him in the rotation. On the other, pushing him too hard could lead to something way worse.
Rui himself doesn’t even know how this is going to play out. “I honestly don’t know,” he admitted when asked if he’d be playing in both halves of upcoming games. “Me, the medical team, and the coaching staff have been talking about it, but we just don’t know. Everybody else has different issues too, so we have to figure out how to manage it.“
The scary part is it’s not just Rui who is dealing with injuries. Everybody is banged up, exhausted, and they’re holding on for dear life. The Lakers’ depth issues at forward may force them to keep playing him, even if he’s not even close to 100 percent. Rui has been putting in all the work to get right, having spent the last three weeks having non stop treatment, and even taking time off the team at periods in order to work on rehab. The thing is, patellar tendinopathy isn’t an injury you bounce back from. It is an overuse condition so the only real cure is rest.
And as Rui himself pointed out, the Lakers don’t have time for that. So now, the only move is to manage his minutes, monitor his pain, and just hope he doesn’t suffer any setbacks.
Oct 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
With just a few weeks left in the playoffs, the Lakers need every healthy body they can get. But if Rui’s knee doesn’t improve soon, they might have to accept the reality that he just won’t be at full strength when it matters most.
This team was already struggling before Rui’s return, and their blowout loss to the Bulls just made everything feel worse. But now, with one of their key forwards straight up saying his knee isn’t getting better anytime soon, the Lakers’ playoff hopes just got a whole lot more complicated.
So now comes the tough question—do they keep playing Rui even though he’s not at full strength? Or do they sit him longer and hope for the best? Neither option is great, and if they get this wrong, it could seriously hurt their postseason run.
One thing’s for sure—this Lakers injury problem isn’t going away anytime soon.
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