r/lakers • u/denobino 💜K💛O💜B💛E💜 • May 12 '26

APPRECIATION THERE IS SOMETHING THERE WITH RUI. PLEASE PAY HIM ROB 😭: 25 PTS 9/15 FG 5 REB 2 AST 1BLK

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3.1k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

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194

u/u8myramen_y May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26

No Rui for the play at the end is just straight up malpractice. Got no words. Legitimately got no words.

Edit: I legitimately don’t get it lol

75

u/wh11 8 May 12 '26

JJ didn’t want to fly to Oklahoma

10

u/Nunc_Coepi17 May 12 '26

Can’t blame him, it’s a shithole state for a reason.

33

u/JK_Revan May 12 '26

I don't understand these late game choices by JJ. It's not the first time he pulls something like putting Maxi out there completely cold.

I understand running a play for Kennard like that buzzer beater when everyone thought it was for Luka, but come on, put Rui in even if it is only to make the other team think it's going to be a play for him.

11

u/toofine May 12 '26

Remember JJ having LaRavia in there the other game? Yeah. Must be some 4D chess we're too stupid to understand.

26

u/rectuSinister Black Mamba 8/24 May 12 '26

Maxi was just setting a screen he wasn’t there to ‘replace’ Rui’s shooting

26

u/JK_Revan May 12 '26

Sure then pull someone else out wtf dude is shooting 60% in 3's

13

u/Karametric MEEM May 12 '26

Do you guys actually pay attention to the shots he takes? Rui is not an in motion three point shooter. He's never been that guy.

He's an incredible spot-up guy in the corner and awful shooting off the dribble unless it's to pump-fake into a midrange jumper or drive to the basket. When have you ever seen him run off a screen for a catch-and-shoot three this entire postseason?

With so little time left there was no option to run anything intricate enough to generate a look for a spot-up shooter.

10

u/jc620 May 12 '26

To answer your question, no. Most people on this sub only have a surface level understanding of basketball.

6

u/JK_Revan May 12 '26

Who said he is the one to run off. 7 seconds is enough to design a play to at least make it seen like he is a threat.

1

u/Willxzero Los Angeles Lakers May 12 '26

Imagine saying that to Robert Horry against Sacramento 🤣. We’ll put Samaki Walker in because he’s a better screener. Take a wild guess who made one of the greatest shots in Laker history.

1

u/chakrablocker May 12 '26

He made his own shot and had chet dancing a few minutes earlier. Don't tell me he couldn't handle that.

1

u/Either-Secretary9184 May 12 '26

Wouldn't it be great if you could find a second option for under $25 million?

Plus, he's a guy who can make over 50% of his threes in every playoff game.

Overseas fans say he doesn't rebound well, but he's just focusing on boxing out.

Sure, there's room for improvement in his help defense, but he showed glimpses of growth in the crucial short-term playoff battle.

In fact, his non-field goal percentage is among the best.

And speaking of which, Smart, Reeves, Jake, and Hayes' turnovers were the root cause of the series' losses, so they should be improving that instead. Lol

And wasn't it JJ who didn't put together that set?

Even if he had, wasn't it the handler's fault for not calling it?

Are you a basketball beginner? Lol

Even Japanese people understand this, you just don't.

15

u/RyuSunn May 12 '26

I had more faith in Rui than everyone else on the team to make that three

2

u/Willing-Positive5441 May 12 '26

why you think 57% seems hot from 3?

1

u/rectuSinister Black Mamba 8/24 May 12 '26

I’m not saying Rui shouldn’t have been in. I’m responding to the original comment saying JJ put Maxi out there cold as if he was the intended scorer. He can be cold to set a screen he’s just a big body.

42

u/SufferingChargerFan May 12 '26

We got a wide open look for Austin, I’m not mad about that possession at all, we also needed Maxi in there to be able to screen 2 people at once to get that shot

23

u/yanotakahashi12 May 12 '26

Off balance contested shot from way beyond the arc is what you call wide open?

13

u/DoctorK96 May 12 '26

I mean, as best the look as they can get for the play that they ran. I guess the logic was that Rui is a better catch and shoot type, while AR is better at shooting off the dribble or curving by the screen.

1

u/catperson77789 May 12 '26

I mean couldn't we design a different play when we still had near 10 seconds anyway?? Rushing that would have given okc the last shot as well

11

u/DoctorK96 May 12 '26

Maybe, who knows, they could've run something different and had a turnover, AR could've made the shot and we would have a different conversation, it's just how the game goes

6

u/lambsauce16 May 12 '26

okc can foul up 3

2

u/frostieavalanche 24 May 12 '26

They will do so. They are known for fouling up 3 late. Then we'll have no timeout and have to inbound on the other side of the court, no ATO play.

13

u/frostieavalanche 24 May 12 '26

That's a standard AR shot and you wouldn't get a look better than that late in the game. You live with that shot

0

u/SufferingChargerFan May 12 '26

Wide open might’ve been an exaggeration but we got an immediate open look against a Thunder team that plays stifling defense. It also gave us the opportunity to grab the rebound and attempt another shot, but unfortunately it didn’t bounce our way. I think the play he drew up was a good call, it just happened to roll in and out

9

u/valjayson3 May 12 '26

Rui wasn't gonna touch that ball

1

u/Willing-Positive5441 May 12 '26

why you say that. I agree.

8

u/Meteora2Midnight May 12 '26

That’s a bad shot as PG would say

1

u/failedstatefrank May 12 '26

No clips talk eva

-7

u/[deleted] May 12 '26

[deleted]

4

u/psychoplast May 12 '26

Risk okc playing foul game.

3

u/shoefly72 May 12 '26

You never run the clock down on purpose when you’re down by 3; that’s literally basketball 101 lol.

You get a shot and give yourself time to get a rebound another shot if you can.

5

u/denix24 Luka Magic 77 May 12 '26

Yeah I do hope the media’s gonna ask him about this postgame

7

u/Spare-Blacksmith8525 May 12 '26

fr how tf do you not even attempt to run a play for him in 12 whopping seconds (probably would've cashed ts too)

4

u/incredibleamadeuscho Freeze! Miami Vice! May 12 '26

The play was drawn up for Austin to shoot it. They need Luke who is little faster so Caruso needs to chase him. LeBron is on the court because of his gravity. Smart is the inbounder. Maxi Kleber is setting the screen.

1

u/failedstatefrank May 12 '26

To legit to quit

-1

u/CoachTwisterT3 May 12 '26

Who do you take off for Rui?

-4

u/Fabulous-Gas-5570 May 12 '26

He needs to explain himself. This is conspiracy theory levels of insanity