Toronto Raptors: 3 player comparisons for Precious Achiuwa

The Toronto Raptors were able to take their first look at Precious Achiuwa, who they acquired from the Miami Heat in the Kyle Lowy deal, during a Summer League loss against the Golden State Warriors.

Achiuwa recorded a double-double, scoring 13 points and pulling down 11 boards. In his second game against Houston, Achiuwa continued to be a force on the glass, using his blend of verticality, speed, and versatility to control the paint in a win for Toronto. It’s early, but those two games were encouraging.

Achiuwa might be listed at 6-8, but he is a top-shelf athlete that had the potential to become either a small-ball center, traditional power forward, or oversized small forward depending on how Toronto wants to utilize him. Regardless, the former top recruit and first-round pick in 2020 is just 21 years old, meaning the best is yet to come.

Achiuwa and the Raptors need to watch some film of these 3 players, as it would give all parties a sense of what his floor looks like, his potential within the next few years, and a best-case scenario that ends with him becoming a long-term building block for this franchise.

3 player comparisons for Toronto Raptors big Precious Achiuwa

Low End: Kenneth Faried

A former first-round pick out of Morehead State who spent his formative seasons with the Nuggets, Faried looked like he was going to be a long-term building block at the start of his Denver career, as he averaged 12.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game as a power forward and small-ball center inside.

However, Faried started to wane in effectiveness after signing a long-term contract with Denver. Following a trade to Brooklyn and a Houston stint, his NBA stock has been so damaged that he has had to go to the Summer League in order to rehabilitate it. If Achiuwa doesn’t evolve on offense, this might be his fate.

Precious Achiuwa’s floor could be Kenneth Faried.

There’s nothing wrong with Achiuwa developing into a quality rebounder and interior finisher if the Raptors turn it around and start to compete for championships again. However, given what he has the potential to become, settling into a role as a rim-runner down the line might be a slight disappointment.

Even as Faried was falling out of the league, he rarely even attempted to rise up from 3-point range when he was in the game. We know that Achiuwa can defend, run, and rebound. He should spend as much time as he can working on that shot, lest he ends up underperforming as a big man in Toronto.