When the signing was put on paper, $14 million annually with a club option for Rui Hachimura seemed like a massive steal for the LA Clippers. Hachimura just had a postseason run for the books with the Los Angeles Lakers, suggesting he would give the Clippers’ front office an extremely high return on their investment.
However, five games into the year, at 1-4, Hachimura’s salary is starting to look a bit high for what he is producing. He just put up 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting in the blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and this season he's at 10.8 points on an atrocious 28.6% field-goal percentage.
All things considered, it’s fair to assume the Clippers overpaid for Hachimura. There’s still plenty of time for that narrative to change, but for now, the reality is on display, right in front of our very eyes.
Rui Hachimura is not playing like a $14 million athlete for the LA Clippers
It’s hard to overstate how disappointing Rui Hachimura has been early in his stint with the LA Clippers. The only area he’s playing well in is on the glass. The Clippers need that, with an undersized center in Isaiah Jackson starting.
As mentioned above, Hachimura’s shooting is a real problem, and it’s not just from the field. The 28-year-old is shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc, which isn’t terrible, but for him, as a reliable threat from three, it’s under par.
The crazy part is, we haven’t even covered the worst of it. Hachimura is having the worst time at the free-throw line. So far, he’s at 58.3% (career-low) on 3.0 attempts (career-high), and has missed as many as three in one game. These are free points he’s just leaving off the board.
It’s a positive sign that he’s staying aggressive despite the excessive missed shots. Still, if Hachimura continues at this rate, the Clippers will have no doubt they'll regret spending $14 million on him over the summer.
They could’ve spent the same money on another power forward, a more trustworthy starting center, or even a credible sixth man who could help carry some of the offensive scoring load off the bench.
Hopefully, though, Hachimura gets it together. With how early it is in the year, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. The return of Brandon Ingram, Bradley Beal, and Max Strus may also make it easier for him to put points on the board.
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