Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura will return to his bench role for Thursday’s clash against the Chicago Bulls, according to LakersNation.com’s Ryan Ward.
Despite starting the past two games against the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers, Hachimura will slide back into a reserve role with both LeBron James and Taurean Prince back in the lineup and at full strength.
Since returning from a calf injury, Hachimura had seen two starts, where he averaged 14.2 points and 4.2 rebounds over 25.4 minutes. However, with James and Prince’s availability, Hachimura’s playing time in his last four outings as a reserve has dipped to an average of 19 minutes.
This move signifies a return to the Lakers’ original rotation before injuries disrupted the lineup. James and Prince are expected to reclaim their starting spots, pushing Hachimura back to the bench where he’ll aim to provide scoring and energy as a sixth man.
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