Rui Hachimura's development as a three-point threat in his third season with the Washington Wizards garnered praise from both the team's general manager and head coach, but each said he must make defensive strides in the offseason to become the player the franchise needs.
After a summer in which he was the face of the Tokyo Olympics, the 24-year-old Japanese missed the first 39 games of the season for still largely unexplained "personal reasons," and in that period the Wizards learned to live without him.
When he returned, he had to find his feet in a team that had solidified in his absence.