Washington Wizards: Rui Hachimura is poised for a big second year

Expect Rui Hachimura to become an offensive force

This past season saw Luka Doncic and Trae Young explode after promising rookie seasons. Rui Hachimura won’t become an All-NBA dynamo but he doesn’t need to be to help the Wizards. Hachimura’s peers, in terms of free-throw shooting, shot a shade under league average from 3-point range. That’d see him improve from 28.7 percent all the way to 35.5 percent from distance. An increase of that much will only open more opportunities for him and his teammates on offense.

The addition of John Wall, long one of the league’s best assist men, and the continued presence of Bradley Beal will mean plenty of good opportunities on offense for Hachimura. While his total share of shots might diminish his scoring efficiency should continue to improve, as it did throughout his college career. In year-two it shouldn’t be a surprise if Hachimura comes close to averaging 20 points a game.

A player averaging close to 20 points a game in their second season portends a bright future. The Wizards gave Hachimura plenty of opportunities as a rookie and he made the most of a difficult transition in his first NBA season. Every season there are the sophomores who slump and sophomores who see a bump. All signs are pointing up for Hachimura, which is good news for a Wizards team looking to move back into the Eastern Conference conversation.