The Washington Wizards lost 108-100 to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday evening. It is unfortunate that Washington lost the game despite leading in the first quarter. However, this season is also a major one when it comes to young player development.
Rui Hachimura, Washington’s rookie power forward earned the start last night. He scored 14 points on 7-of-15 shooting and grabbed 15 rebounds in his NBA debut. He looked comfortable out there given the circumstances and gave a good first impression.
I wish he would have made one of his three three-point attempts last night, but it was also good to see him not hesitate to take these shots early on.
The Wizards forward has been compared to several star frontcourt players, from Antawn Jamison to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Though I’ll leave it to you to decide which player is the best comparison, Hachimura will be a very good player in the long term if he can continue to produce consistently like this. You can watch the highlights above from Free Dawkins.