The Miami Heat took rookie big man, Precious Achiuwa, with the 20th overall pick in this past NBA Draft. Going into a Memphis, the place he played collegiately, as on half of a freshman dynamic duo, he would eventually finish the season as the main guy.
After current Golden State Warrior, James Wiseman, was ruled indelible, it left Achiuwa to be the main dog. He did well too.
Well, well enough to still be the 20th pick in the draft.
The Miami Heat’ latest draft pick, Precious Achiuwa, is starting to show the stuff that got him drafted.
Either way though, he was deserving of where he went or higher, if we’re totally being honest. None of that matters now though, as he is here and a member of the Miami Heat.
What does matter is the fact that he’s finally beginning to show some of that stuff that we saw prior to the draft. Precious isn’t huge, but he’s long, gangly, and athletic.
He’s multiple and skilled, which helps make up for his lack of sheer size as well. The thing that really stuck out to me about the fit between Precious and Miami is that he had a lot of the same tools that Bam has and that he should eventually be able to one day blossom into a similar role.
He’s starting to show some of that stuff! Though he isn’t the playmaker that Bam is, yet or perhaps never will be, he is more creative off of the bounce than Bam is already.
Achiuwa has an array of things in his bag, he seemingly refuses to go to them yet or isn’t fully comfortable though. However, with each game and especially over the last several, he has started to dig deep into his skills bag to show us some stuff.
A shot that really sticks in my mind is a recent face-up look along the baseline. He jabbed in, ripped through to the outside baseline, beat his man with his shoulders and shot a push shot, falling away, along that same baseline.
It rattled home. That’s Achiuwa’s game.
He is a creative, athletic, slashing, finisher. That was his game at Memphis and that should continue to be his game, as playing on the edges for a big man is different and could be very productive.
Along with increasing his bulk, working on his hands a bit, finishing everything that’s thrown his way, and rebounding the world if it comes off the glass, that’s his game. He’s a mid-post to mid-baseline area one on one terror.
That’s what I saw at Memphis that made me so excited to nab him where they did. That’s the stuff he’s beginning to show us here in Miami.