Rui Hachimura has been a Lakers' Bench asset, hindered by Mask, How Long Will He Wear It?

The Lakers have been struggling this season, especially because they have been shorthanded in several games of the 2023-24 campaign, still, the team has been able to stay afloat with a 15-11 record.

The Lakers struggled mightily on both ends of the floor without Anthony Davis, who dominated the Spurs just two days prior. Without Davis, Los Angeles lost its biggest advantage against San Antonio and couldn’t make up the difference.

In the second game between the LA Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs this week, despite a painful loss, the lone bright spot was Rui Hachimura, who scored 20 points off the bench on 8-of-15 shooting. Hachimura looks to be getting back into a rhythm after missing time with a nasal fracture, though he is still forced to wear his face mask for at least the next month, as seen on Spectrum SportsNet:

Hachimura's game has been affected by his mask

Hachimura suffered the nasal fracture when he got hit in the face in their loss to the Dallas Mavericks and must wear the mask as a precaution. There have been numerous players in league history who have donned a mask during games, though no one can blame Hachimura for wanting to get rid of it.