Hachimura returns to the Washington Wizards: "I just miss that feeling. ” / Rui Hachimura returns for the Washington Wizards: ‘I just missed this feeling’
Published: January 10, 2021 US time
Publisher: the Athletic
Article author: Josh Robbins
Article translated by de Gaulle
Usually, when the NBA season is playing in the middle of the current non-salty period, when the opponent is still the worst team in the day, when a player shoots three points in the first quarter of the game, his teammates usually do not show anything special, and the teammates on the sidelines will not stand up.
However, on the evening of January 9, local time, when the Wizards Yamura Lei, with 4 minutes and 21 seconds left in the first quarter of the game with the Magic, received a pass from his teammate in the bottom left corner and was in an unguarded situation, his teammate Corey Kispert immediately bounced off the bench. Kispert raised his arms to cheer up his good friend and teammate Yamura of Gonzaga University.
Hachimura didn't hesitate much, and then it was a three-point shot. But the ball didn't go into the net as he wished, but instead slammed into the basket. However, it was such a seemingly ordinary shot that excited his teammates and marked the official start of the third season of Yamura's career. Previously, he had been suspended for "personal reasons that were inconvenient to disclose" and triggered health and safety provisions, so he ushered in the opening battle of the new season at such a late point in time.
"I've been waiting for this moment," Hachimura said after the match against the Magic, "I had to take a break before, but now I'm very happy to be back on the court and be able to fight side by side with my teammates again." I miss that feeling. ”
The wizards didn't want to miss hachimura. As the No. 9 rookie selected by the team in 2019, Yamura has been regarded by the Wizards as an important part of the future team building since entering the league. The team wants to evolve dramatically this season, and Yamura is an indispensable member. As a striker with height, weight and athleticism, Yamura is a player who is very much in line with the trends of the times.
But it was during such an important "career upswing" that Hachimura suddenly pressed the pause button for himself, and he has not played in any official competition since playing the group stage of the Tokyo Olympics last August. I don't know if it was playing at home, but suffered a 0-3 record, so that Hachimura has suffered too much blow and pressure, in short, the Wizards' management, coaching staff and all players have been patiently waiting for Hachimura to return to the field.
This day came on January 9, local time, but in the away match with the Magic, Hachimura, who had not played an official game for more than 4 months, still looked a little "rusty". Coming off the bench, he played 14 minutes and finished with 2-of-8 shooting, with only 6 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist.
"He played tough on the court," said Unseld Jr., who took over the team this season and coached Hachimura for the first time, "I feel like his return gives us the most in-demand physical strength of this time." His height and his ability to play in the air are very valuable to us. In this game, he lost a couple of empty shots that I think he could shoot later, but he still ran a good chance. So, I'm very happy to see him make his debut so much. ”
For the Wizards, they not only won a reversal victory against the Magic, but also provided a good model and example for how Unseld would use the Eight Villages Base in the future. Since the Magic uses a small lineup for a long time in the game, the Wizards also need to adapt to the opponent's lineup. But because Harrell was new to COVID-19 isolation and didn't come with the team to Orlando, Unseld began experimenting with placing Yamura bass on the inside of the small lineup. On attack, Yamura hit the fourth position, while on the defensive end he stood in the fifth position.
Currently, the Wizards' starting number four is Kuzma, and even if Yamura regains his physical and game-like form, it seems that he will have a hard time squeezing out Kuzma, who has played well recently and scored 20+ in several consecutive games. However, the return of Yamura has given head coach Unseld more players to use on the bench. Unseld has long since revealed that his goal is to use a 9-man or even 10-man rotation in the vast majority of games, which naturally has a position at eight village bases, and he will take part of the playing time including Avdia, Kispert and Bertans.
In the game against the Magic, this situation has begun to show signs, except for the 26-minute substitute guard Neto, Hachimura is the longest player on the Wizards bench, and Avdia, Kispet and Bertans have not played as much as Hachimura. Over time, this scene can appear many times in future Games for the Wizards.
This is the reality of such a competitive stage in the NBA, and a 23-year-old high-ranking player like Yamura Lei, his position and attention in the team, is higher than that of other players. Although it was delayed for several months, when he returned to the team, he would be immediately reused. "I feel pretty good," Hachimura said, "I dealt with some personal matters before, and I think it's better not to talk about it." But now I'm back on the team and everyone in the team understands my choice, which makes me think it's great. ”
Just as Kishpeter cheered up Hachimura during the game, many of the Wizards' teammates have kept in touch with Hachimura in their own way and encouraged him in their own way during this time. "It's really great to see him get back to his feeling on the court," Wizards Core Bill said, "and his return is absolutely inspiring and he can help us in multiple positions." But for the coach, he has a tough task to face, because he has to rearrange the troops. But from the team's point of view, we are still happy for his return. Although he still needs time to find his rhythm, judging from his performance in the first game of his comeback, he played well. ”
Because the mid-range projection is not good, the goals scored by Hachimura's comeback in the first game are basically based on dunks. In the second quarter he took a pass from Beal, completed a two-handed dunk, and scored his first athletic goal of the game. In the third quarter, he completed a one-handed dunk with a left hand after grabbing an offensive rebound.
"To be honest, I'm really happy with his performance," Kuzma said, "and Yamura is a great kid, and I've had the opportunity to talk to him a couple of times over the past few weeks after he's returned." I know basketball means a lot to him, but the mental health of the players is also very, very important. So I'm happy to see him back because he's really a really nice guy. ”
The teammates were happy for Hachimura's return, and Hachimura himself was equally happy. In the game against magic, his most expression was laughter. Whether it's in the warm-up, sitting on the bench, or in a post-game interview, a smile always appears on his face.
"I just miss that feeling," Hachimura said.