Rui Hachimura Attributes Three-Point Breakthrough to Former Lakers Assistant Phil Handy
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Los Angeles, CA — Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura said former Lakers assistant and current Dallas Mavericks coach Phil Handy has been instrumental in transforming him into one of the league’s most reliable perimeter shooters.
Speaking after the Lakers’ recent win over the Mavericks, the 28-year-old forward recalled that Handy encouraged him to prioritize long-range shooting shortly after he arrived in Los Angeles in 2023. “He told me this is gonna be really important for me, for my basketball career and it’s gonna help this team win a lot of basketball games,” Hachimura said. “As my role, I think I have to shoot more threes with this team.”
Hachimura, once viewed primarily as a mid-range scorer, is on pace to shoot better than 40 percent from three-point range for a third consecutive season. He hit 3-of-4 attempts from beyond the arc and finished with 21 points in the victory at Crypto.com Arena.
Handy followed head coach Jason Kidd to Dallas after the 2021 season, but Hachimura noted that their relationship remains strong despite now competing on opposite benches. “Shoutout to Phil Handy, the Mavs coach,” he said. “He was the guy who put me on those games.”
The Lakers head into the All-Star break on a positive note, and first-year head coach JJ Redick offered a brief assessment of the season’s first half following the win.
Source: LakersNation.com
