The Miami Heat took Memphis Freshman, Precious Achiuwa, with the 20th overall pick. Here’s his bold prediction for this upcoming season.
The Miami Heat got what looked to be another good one this year at the NBA Draft. Getting yet another guy who was projected to go much higher than he did, they took Memphis freshman forward, Precious Achiuwa, with the 20th overall pick.
A man with a body already made for the NBA, Achiuwa comes into the Miami Heat organization and the league with a frame already able to take the abuse that an NBA season brings. With a long, wiry, muscular frame and broad shoulders, Achiuwa should be able to step in and make an impact right away.
The bold prediction for Achiuwa goes beyond just “an impact” though as I believe there is much more in store for him this season. Here’s what I mean.
Precious Achiuwa will make his way into the Top Four For Rookie Of The Year
The Miami Heat took Precious Achiuwa at 20. He could prove to be, yet another, Miami Heat steal.
Most looking at this are thinking “if he was good enough to do that, how could he have slipped to 20?” Well, that is multi-faceted.
With this most recent draft, there was no clear cut number one prospect, which means that everyone valued different guys differently. That, along with the equal talent in this draft, made it ripe for the pickings when it came to getting a guy lower that should have been taken higher.
Finally, add all of that with the volatility and non-traditional mechanisms by which this whole process was carried out with and you have the situation that teams found themselves in this past year. This was a draft where those who know what they are doing really had the chance to come away like smooth criminals.
That’s just what Pat Riley and the crew did. They got a guy at 20, who at times was ranked not only in the lottery of the draft, but within the top 10.
Achiuwa, again, already has an NBA body. His game is built on a good skill set, but that is further built upon hustle, grit, and effort.
He has good size at 6’9″ and 234 pounds and is able to help guard the paint and rim. With him being physically ready and the Miami Heat’s need for more depth when it came to paint and rim protection, it was the perfect pick and potential opportunity for a guy like Achiuwa.
They say that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. In this case, that luck is why I believe Achiuwa has a chance to be in the top four of the Rookie Of The Year conversation, if not higher.