Who can defend LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo and win those possessions? Who can play at-the-level or in drop, and stop the Trae Young pick n’ roll attack? Who can make bigs pay for floating out to the perimeter? Who can completely redefine their game in half a season? Precious Achiuwa can. How will he ascend this year?
“Every part of my game, in my opinion, has been getting better,” Achiuwa said. “That was a big emphasis of mine and still is, just trying to get better all around when it comes to my game.”
Early on he tanked his team’s offense, and desperately tried to get it back on the other end. In the midst of a Raptors team that was playing its most aggressive scheme yet, most people had a hard time figuring out who was doing what correctly on defense. However, they knew where to point on the other side of the floor. So, the quick glance would portray Achiuwa as a big who couldn’t roll, shoot, finish at the rim, or catch. Prior to the All-Star break his true shooting was sitting at 45-percent, when league average (bigs are usually above it) sits around 55-percent.
Achiuwa’s end goal for his development: “Make every shot that I take.”
There was very little support for the aspects of his game that we all now collectively marvel at. The scores of people that begged him not to dribble, gather around the television and let their eyes get as big as dinner plates while he accomplishes some fantastical feat of live-dribble athleticism. Among analysts and scouts, some whisper: “He’s going to be a star.”
A few people started searching for how this guy was still winning minutes if he struggles at everything offensively. The answer was, of course, that he does things on the Raptors defense that no one else does. Mimicry occurs, yes, but no one on the Raptors is as good at closing out defensive possessions with a rebound, forcing misses at the rim, or playing as the big in pick n’ roll possessions. If you’re keeping track at home, the first two things are maybe the fundamental base of defense, and the third is defending the most popular play in all of basketball. The only reason why Achiuwa isn’t considered the best wing-stopper on the roster? OG Anunoby is his teammate. He is this level of defender. Ready to challenge for All-Defense status.
“Especially for someone of my ability. Being able to guard a lot of positions, all five positions, comfortably. I have goals, that I’m trying to accomplish. I’m trying to be talked about as one of the guys in the NBA defensively when it comes to All-NBA Defense. One of those guys that is well respected on defense.”
Precious Achiuwa
With vets like Thaddeus Young around to impart their wisdom, who excel at thinking ahead on defense, how much can a guy like Achiuwa learn and emulate? What is the ceiling of his defense if his decision making catches up to someone like Young’s?
“That’s one of the things I’ve done, for the majority of my career, is play defense. Just being in the right place.” Young said of his impressive feel for the defensive end. “One of my vets back in the day, Aaron McKie, he was always telling me to do my work early. So, if you do your work early, you don’t have to play catch up. And that’s what I’m trying to put into these guys – to do their work early, so they don’t have to play catch up trailing behind the ball. They’re not coming in late on a straight-up on a guy driving to the basket. Or trailing a play, and having to come from behind to try and get a steal or something. Always being in your position, and always making sure that you leave your mark early, rather than later.”
We’ve seen players who struggle on offense and provide immense value on defense before. Hell, the Raptors played that type of player in the playoffs, Matisse Thybulle, and loved every minute that he was on the floor. From February 1st onward, Achiuwa evaporated his largest offensive shortcoming: 3-point shooting. “The second half of the season really made me understand what I’m capable of doing and how much more I could do. Just got to keep doing the same thing, having the same approach to the game, and I took that to my workouts as well. It’s kind of like a vision, you take it and run with it.” Achiuwa said of his growth.
“Night and day as far as who I saw for the first time last year in the gym to who he is today. You’ve got to give credit to Precious and his work ethic and his dedication, too, to continuing to get better. He’s found more touch around the rim, which is great to see. I was most impressed with his one-on-one defence on the perimeter.”
– Fred VanVleet on Precious Achiuwa
Why wouldn’t revelation accompany the 34-game stretch he had to end the season? Not only did he shoot 41-percent from three over that stretch, but he did so on over 3-attempts a game. Post-ASB, Achiuwa and Gary Trent Jr. shot 40-percent and 41-percent on catch-and-shoot threes respectively. And since Trent Jr. plays heavier minutes, if we go by per 36 Achiuwa was taking 5.1 threes to Trent Jr.’s 4.8. How did Achiuwa become such an effective release valve from 3? One: he hit them. Two: he took most of his shots from above-the-break, the 3-point shot most teams will surrender, and he shot a blistering 45-percent on them.
This was by far the most important offensive development of his young career. If you hit threes, you get closeouts, and Achiuwa with a pump-and-go is one of the most explosive athletes in the NBA. The leveraging of his shot to create lanes to the rim had staying power, because he’s still drawing closeouts. The willing shooter vs. effective shooter debate will rage on, but Achiuwa is trying to be both.
The 13 free throw attempts he had in the final preseason game were a result of Achiuwa being given opportunities to burn defenders in space. When the Raptors were injured through their playoff series with the 76ers, Achiuwa was vaulted up the hierarchy and got to play in space. He, along with Pascal Siakam forced the 76ers into a zone that protected Joel Embiid from being asked to hang with them on the perimeter. The dribble combos are real, the finishing has stuck around, and the first step/last step explosiveness is undeniable. The grab-and-go stuff allows him to wield all of his skills and abilities in the open court. A real weapon.
All these successes have allowed for more freedoms. When I asked Achiuwa what qualified as his favourite among these, he leaned on the roots of his game: “The grab-and-go stuff has always been a part of my game. Go watch high school, middle school, that’s how I’ve always played. I like to play fast, in transition. Play open court, get wide open dunks, it’s exciting. I like that. So, that’s always been my game, but being in an organization that, the coaching staff, my teammates encourage me to do that, because it’s easy offense. I get the ball, 1-2 dribble I’m on the other side of the floor, you know, pass or stuff like that. You know the more you do stuff like that the better you get at it, and especially at this level.”
Plucked from a Hungarian basketball podcast, Rapcity Keleten-Nyugaton, a Nick Nurse comment about Achiuwa made the rounds: “Wait till this year because every time I see him (Achiuwa) this summer on the court it’s total focus, total intensity. I mean, something happened to him where he now understands what playing in the NBA is about and he is on a mission.”
If Achiuwa was existing, and succeeding as a player who didn’t understand what playing in the NBA is about, how good might he be when everything makes sense? It seems clearer than ever that the NBA’s Most Improved Player trophy is under threat of making its way north of the border for the second time in five years.
Have a blessed day.
