Rui Hachimura has a nickname for Russell Westbrook. The Washington Wizards forward, who grew up in Japan, calls the veteran “senpai,” which means senior in his native tongue.
Since Westbrook arrived in a trade last December, Hachimura and the point guard have grown close — developing a pregame handshake, a mentor-mentee relationship and, perhaps most importantly for Washington, an on-court chemistry that is paying dividends. But the nine-time All-Star’s biggest influence on Hachimura may be the Japanese forward’s adoption of a more aggressive, competitive style of play — a style that seems to owe a lot to the arrival of Westbrook.
“He’s always trying to win no matter what,” Hachimura said. “He comes out with such energy.”
That kind of energy is increasingly evident in Hachimura’s game. The 23-year-old opened Tuesday’s 114-104 loss to the Charlotte Hornets with a dunk — the start of a productive outing in which he tied a career-high with 30 points on a career-high 25 attempts. Hachimura carried a bigger offensive load with guard Bradley Beal (hip) out for a second straight game, but the performance was another sign that Hachimura’s game has matured in his second season.
Over the last 10 games, Hachimura is averaging 20.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game — shooting 52.8% from the field and 40.6% from deep. This season, he’s scored at least 20 points eight times, six of those in the last two weeks.
As a rookie, Hachimura played 72 games and scored at least 20 points only eight times, but this year, his feel for the game has improved. He cuts to the basket and powers through defenders at the rim for layups. He takes advantage of mismatches by posting up guards. And he even appears comfortable taking 3-pointers — up to nearly three attempts per game.
The Wizards would like that latter number still to be much higher, though it’s a jump considering Hachimura attempted only 1.8 shots per game from deep last year.
“Rui is — I’m telling you — he’s coming along,” coach Scott Brooks said. “He still has a few more levels of getting better. That’s the thing I love about him. But … give him until his third or fourth year. We’re going to see him become a really high, high-level player.”
Hachimura doesn’t command the ball or facilitate offense like Westbrook, of course, but he has his own unique strengths, too.
When the Hornets switched to a zone in Tuesday’s game, Hachimura muscled his way to the middle of the paint and found ways to score. Hachimura created space with his footwork, stepping back to shoot over defenders. Hachimura loves to take mid-range jumpers, but he’s become much more effective in the paint. This year, he’s shooting 48.7% from the paint (non-restricted area) compared to 31.6% last season.
“I’ve started getting better because my body got stronger,” Hachimura said. “I can use my body to create more space and make it easier in the midrange. That’s my shot and I don’t think anybody can stop that.”
Westbrook’s addition to the roster has also helped. Brooks said when Westbrook grabs a rebound and pushes the pace, Hachimura sprints in transition to end up being guarded by a smaller player. Westbrook, who has assisted on 76 Hachimura field goals, finds the mismatch and Hachimura often converts.
Hachimura’s development is one of the most important aspects of this season. The Wizards sit at a disappointing 17-29 and are four games back of the play-in tournament with less than two months left. If the Wizards are going to miss the playoffs, the progress of the team’s young players becomes even that much more important.
Brooks said he’s starting to see Hachimura play with a “little more force.” He referenced Hachimura’s poster dunk on Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart from over the weekend as an example. On that play, Hachimura lept above the rim and yelled out to no one in particular — an unusual sight for the former first-rounder.
“He probably should have gotten a technical foul,” Brooks said. “He’s bringing that edge more consistently.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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