3-pt progress for Rui Hachimura | NBA

If his start to the season is mired in the poor results of the Wizards, and in the fact that he started several weeks late and that he is no longer a starter, there is still a positive element in the performances. by Rui Hachimura.

This is his 3-pt address. He indeed displays a very clean 44% success rate, while his first two seasons, he was only at 28 and 32%. As since joining the league, he is thrifty in his attempts (only 2.1 per game), but unlike previous years, he is efficient.

“I’ve been working there since the offseason”, he assures NBC Sports. “I think it helps me have the confidence to shoot 3-pointers. The concept of our team is to attack the racket and come out at 3-pts for the shooters. There are a few players who can create play, so it’s easier for me to score from behind the arc. And obviously, having a good long shot is a good thing. It’s easier then to penetrate. “

His teammate Corey Kispert, who also played with the Japanese at university, is also noticing his progress. At the time of the NCAA, Rui Hachimura had scored only 24 award-winning baskets in three seasons, at 31% success.

“I remember at university, defenders were waiting for him at the free throw line”explains Corey Kispert. “It was a lack of respect for the good penetration player that he was, but now he is a credible threat on the outside. He can score with regularity. He has a more assertive trajectory when he shoots and his ball spins better too. “

Now that he has gained in efficiency, Rui Hachimura must turn up the volume and take more shots to have even more impact. Is this his intention? ” Not necessarily “, he confides. “It’s not my game, nor my strength. It’s just part of my game.”